Lightning Can Be Warm
by Arysthae
Summary: What would ATLA be if Azula and Zuko were more like siblings and more Ursa's children? If Aang knew more about the other nations? If Zuko was never banished? If Azula, Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko went to get Aang at first? Rated T for dark themes and violence
1. Zuko and Azula

**Lightning can be warm**

**Chapter 1**

**AN: I really should be working on Potter Story but this popped into my head. I probably won't follow it up.**

Zuko sat outside his mother's room with his Uncle Iroh waiting next to him. The waiting room itself was elaborate with gold and red decorations everywhere along with books and countless scrolls of paper. Zuko was only three years old, looking young and innocent. A nursemaid opened the gold gilded door and beckoned them in. Zuko looked into his mother's arms. A little baby girl was there. Not crying, merely looking and calmly observing the world around her and Zuko knew at once that he would protect her with his life. _I swear to you, great Agni, God of Fire and Warmth; I will protect her with my life._

(X)

Zuko sat by the pool, watching the glint of light glinting off the water. The turtle ducks quacked and frolicked in the water. Zuko himself sat in deep contemplation, a funny sight for a seven year old. But Zuko was worried about Azula. He had overheard the servants and his Mother talking about how horrible she was becoming and Zuko could see it. She seemed to hate him and seemed to seek him out and torment him. His only respite from Azula was at the Royal Academy for Boys and even there, he was still an average student and was secretly sneered at by teachers and students alike, he knew. Zuko could see what was happening and blamed it on his Father. The more time she spent with Father, the more condescending she became and the more she hated Zuko. Zuko remembered the oath he had sworn and vowed to protect her and Zuko knew now that his vow included his family. He had to protect Azula from his father. In fact, he wasn't a father much anymore.

"Zu-zu!" Azula sang and she and Ty Lee and bounced around him, rudely snapping Zuko from his contemplation, occasionally flipping or cartwheeling. There were times like now when Zuko wished he hadn't sworn to protect her as, as of that moment, he honestly wanted to kill her.

"Ty Lee, come now, your mother wants you home!" called his mother and Zuko smiled with relief. Azula on the other hand smirked.

"Go away brother, time for me to practise." Zuko laughed outright, feeling humiliated by her smirk growing. "What do you learn? How to be pretty? How to draw pictures?" Her eyes narrowed and she sent a blast of billowing red flames at his head. Zuko ducked and sent a feeble shot of yellow flames at her chest. She laughed this time round.

"What's wrong Zu-zu? Scared?" she said, throwing five quick shots of fire at his chest. He twisted behind the fountain and waited for the-BANG! He smiled as the ornament on top of the fountain exploded into little shards; he'd never liked that pouty fish anyway. But on the serious matter, he knew his Mother would hear.

"So scared you can't answer me? Shaking in your little boots, knowing you'll never match me!" Zuko turned out from his hiding place and looked her straight in the eyes. She sent a small blow at his chest but he caught it and dissipated it with a snap of his fingers.

"No. I'm not scared for me. I'm scared for you. You're turning into a monster, not the little sister I swore to protect, the little sister I loved." As he was about to launch into how he really cared his Mother came hurtling into the scene with 'Ozai', Zuko would not call him father. They stared at the two children, one stood in stance, doubt marring her face and the other stood still and straight, fingers still held in the snap that dissipated the deadly blow.

"What is going on here?" Mother demanded angrily. Neither child answered only looking at the burnt hedges and destroyed fountain.

(X)

Thrust. Parry. Dodge. Swivel. Thrust. Lunge. Parry. Swivel. Leap. Dodge. Lun—

What are you doing, Zu-zu?" came the sardonic voice of the seven year old Azula from the corner of the outer courtyard. He turned slowly on his heel, his dual swords turning to face her. She stayed hidden behind a pillar, her voice uncannily like his father's. But by the 'Zu-zu' remark, he knew it was her.

"What does it look like I'm doing Azula? Counting Sky-Bisons?" She turned round to face him. He knew what she wanted, by the almost hidden desire in her eyes.

"Want to learn how?" The look in her eyes told him yes but Azula herself made no emotion or indication of an answer. He beckoned her forward. Finally he felt like the big brother, teaching her how to protect herself...

(X)

"Remember the two swords are one. If one moves so does the other one. They are extensions of your arms. Move them with fluidity like so—"

"I get it already! Give me the damned swords!" Azula snapped. She took them from his outstretched hands. She did breathing exercises like she did for when she was fire bending before slowly moving the swords in the air. Zuko nodded with approval then she launched into one of the movements he had been doing before she had announced her presence. She leapt into the air and tried the dropkick and thrust. She could see him running towards her and everything seemed to slow down.

She saw herself falling- at the wrong angle. Why was that? She corrected her movements to the way Ty Lee had showed her and as she fell to the ground, she knew in one clear instant, it wouldn't make a difference, she was going to die. But as she fell to the ground with her leg bent and crooked, she felt two feeble arms grab her before tensing and pulling her down. She landed with a crash and life came back to normal speed. She was sprawled out on Zuko's stomach and he was wheezing. He gently pushed her off him and stood up, rubbing his shoulder. Then a look of fury lit his eyes.

"What the hell do you think you were doing Azula? I though I told you to take it easy. You were doing amazingly until you overdid your limits. This isn't like firebending, it doesn't come with a whoosh of your hands and voila! Your opponent is dead. It's not that simple and you should know that. You should. Agni, I won't always be there to stop you Az! You can't just risk yourself like that." At this, Zuko started sobbing. Azula almost smiled, the little cry-baby was sobbing like a freak; he wasn't even the one in danger. But somehow she felt guilty. She cleared her mind of that thought and went to sit next to him, to taunt him.

"Spirits Az, I can't protect myself. I can't protect you, I'm hopeless..." he mumbled as he cried helplessly into his hands. She almost smirked, he though he would protect her. He couldn't even do proper firebending! But there was something so endearing that he though he could try to keep her from Danger's way...

"Zuko?" she asked quietly. He looked up, his eyes a faint shade of red, all swollen.

"What is it Az?" She looked him, biting his lip. She had wanted to laugh in his face, but he looked so vulnerable and angry at himself.

"Did you mean last week when you said that you thought I was turning into a monster?" He looked at her again, looking right into her eyes, like he was reading her soul. She shuddered and looked away, that sort of power shouldn't have been available. He was looking at the floor when she glimpsed back.

"No, of course I didn't. Lost in the moment." But Azula knew that he was lying. Not only by his pathetic voice and pose, but by the fact she hadn't had any adrenaline when they had been fighting, he had been completely under control of himself, which scared Azula more than his fighting skills (which were rubbish in the first place) But the scariest was, he had meant it.

"Of course you meant it. You can't lie to me Zuko. You meant it. How am I a monster? Tell me. TELL ME!" She roared the last phrase; she was scared, angry, and apprehensive about his answer. She too started crying just like a little wimp. She wiped away the tears furiously, but it was too late, he had seen them and he put an arm around her. And for once, she let go of her dam of emotions and cried into his shoulder. And Zuko knew as she sobbed into his shoulder, that for once, she considered him worthy of respect or something along those lines.

(X)

"That didn't mean anything." said Azula. Zuko startled out of his slumber and stared blearily at Azula.

"Wha'?" he murmured. She curled her lip at his dishevelled appearance. Zuko scowled slightly, she as usual didn't look fazed by anything and her hair was in pristine condition, not a lock out of place, nor a single wrinkle in her clothes.

"Yesterday. At the courtyard. Didn't mean anything. A fluke. A coincidence. I was tired and stressed from that stupid jump and I let my guard down. Didn't mean a single itty bitty thing, so don't you think it does." She scowled at him, daring him to say otherwise. He smirked. Even in his bleary state, he could see where the advantage was and it certainly wasn't with Azula.

"Sure. I believe you. Fluke. Coincidence. Doesn't mean an inky dinky weeny bit. Sure. You are always right, Princess Azula is never wrong." Her top lip twitched.

'And don't you forget it." She swept out of the room with all the regal posturing he had ever seen her have when Ozai wasn't about. The door slammed shut and Zuko smiled. His quest to make her a nicer person was starting. Even if it was only a tiny step forwards, it was progress.

(X)

Azula slumped down onto the stone steps, her expression gloomy. Although the garden stretched out in front of her in an beautufl layout and the birds were chirping, her thoughts were far away, to the overheard conversation between her mother and one of her friends from the minor houses.  
"_And then she burned the doll! Just because she didn't like it! Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with that child…"_ That last line ran its merry way through her mind again and again no matter how much she tried to push it away. No matter how much she tried to deny it, the simple truth of the words were unmistakable. _Mother thinks there's something wrong with me._ She gritted her teeth in frustration. Why was her mother so difficult to please?

She sighed as she attempted to ponder that thought. It was easy with Father, all you had to do was excel in areas that would help when being a ruler and snub those that were lower than you. But no matter how much she tried, no matter how well she answered her questions, completed her training regiments, her mother barely ever acknowledged it with anything more than a simple "That's nice, dear." Worse yet, to the perceptive girl, was that she could sense a growing unease from her mother every time she burst in to announce that she had accomplished some new task theoretically far beyond someone her age, almost as if she were being pushed _further _from her mother every time she succeeded in something.

Why? What did her mother _want_ from her? And why did she disapprove of so many things that Azula considered inconsequential? Like the stupid earth kingdom doll – she hadn't liked it, and so she had burnt it away. So what? What was the big deal? Zuko had gotten that amazing knife that he could use with growing ease. Zuko had everything with Mother. What was it that he had that she didn't? He was useless at everything.

She rethought that phrase, had she not just been complimenting his sword-fighting skills? When it came to weapons, he was very good. He had some basic competency in the other fields as History and Calligraphy. But he was never better than Azula. Azula was always the best. But it wasn't good enough. Azula growled in frustration and smashed a fireball against the reddish brown earth and stopped halfway through realising the same boy who had been occupying her thoughts was sitting there. She cursed her lack of attention; that could have ended badly. She looked curious, his face was crestfallen.

"What is it, Zu-zu?" she asked curiously.  
"I failed fire-bending again. I just can't do it! It's so difficult keeping the flame _there _long enough. It's easy to make it disappear, no matter how much they throw at me but I can't keep it moving! I hate life!" Azula looked unsympathetic.  
"You fail all the time. What's different this time round?" Zuko looked at her, feeling all round disappointment.  
"Ozai was there. Watching in the corner. Watching me fail fire-bending. Urrgh! I HATE HIM!" Zuko threw a huge blast of red fire and watched as it burned a Venus-fly trap. Azula looked at Zuko then back at where her mother and her friend had been talking. And the answer to her dilemmas was presented to her in one giant sweep.

"Zuko. You need help in fire-bending; I need help to make Moth-Mother think I'm normal. We help each other. I'll teach you fire-bending and you teach me how to be nice." Zuko's golden eyes lit up.  
"Really Az? You'd do that for me? You'd teach me how to be like you?" Azula was about to retort with something along the lines of 'basic competency only' but the look of wondering awe in his eyes was too much for Azula. She closed her eyes but she knew the decision was made.  
"Fine. I'll teach you how to be like me and you'll teach me how to be like you. A perfect balance." Zuko smirked, which made him look older than his nine years.  
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Let's start!"

(X)

Azula sighed as Zuko attempted the Sky-Sweep move for the tenth time. Her patience was rapidly disappearing; she didn't know how the tutors coped. She breathed in deeply and tied to find inner peace. The fire exploded in his face and he was propelled backwards into a thorn bush. He climbed out, spitting thorns onto the floor with scratches all over his body.  
"I think we should start with the basics. What do you feel when you fire-bend?" Azula asked from where she was sitting. Zuko looked nonplussed.  
"Ummm, nothing. Boredom. Frustration. Get it over with. Why can't I do this?" He deadpanned. She sighed.  
"Well that's all wrong. You have to—No. I'll try this another way. Ty Lee teaches like this. Okay." Azula took a deep breath and looked Zuko in the eyes, trying to put things in the simplest fashion so he could understand.

"Right. Chi is the energy that fuels your body—and your inner fire. Because of chi, our fire is alive and you have to take fire seriously. You aren't making fire, simply conducting it through your body. Chi helps spark the fire. When you get angry with Chi and Fire, they will not work with you. You pay them respect," Azula smirked and snapped her fingers, "And Chi works with you. Now, fall into the stance to start Sky-Sweep..." Zuko moved into the position and she tutted at the horrible position. She moved his arms to be straighter and let him extend his feet and repositioned him stronger and more stable.  
"Now breathe. You are only a conductor. No mind, no soul, no internal organs, just a shell to conduct chi. It's floating around in the air; pull it in with your fingers, let it travel through your chi lines, then it should double back and come out the same arm with the _leap_ and _sweep_ of the arm to aim at the opponent." Azula demonstrated the move and burned up a poor little thorn bush. Zuko smiled and breathed. He swept his hand and in one go the entire area of plants burst into flame. Zuko snapped his fingers and it disappeared.

Azula smiled. Smiled, not smirked. "That was good. But not good enough. Where were you aiming?" Zuko pointed at the smouldering thorn bush. Azula merely shook her head and pointed at the lightly burned plants the same arc. Zuko laughed sharply and Azula shook her head again.  
"Don't worry, it's easier when you are fighting, you just react, especially if you keep the 'shell' imagery in your head. But you saw the flame was feeble, only scorched it a little. To truly get power, you need to feel angry."  
"Now you don't make any sense. One, the shell imagery, if I feel anger the imagery is gone, right? And two, I thought you said not to get angry at the chi?" Azula rolled her eyes; Zuko was very ignorant at times.

"One, the 'no emotions' is for beginners. If you want to excel, you have to feel the chi and fire instinctively enough that you don't need the stupid imagery. Two, you get angry at the person you are fighting, not chi." Zuko sighed.  
"I guess I have to fight someone then?"  
Azula nodded. "Me."  
Zuko bit his lip. "Azula? That won't work out."  
"Why ever not?" She asked, looking confused.  
"I couldn't ever hurt you. I swore to protect you and never harm you on oath of life to Agni when you born."  
Azula merely looked at him. "You swore this when I was born?"  
"Yes."  
"You must have been...what two, three? You swore to protect me when you were three years old?"  
Zuko looked sheepish. "Yes? ...I wasn't meant to say that, was I?"  
Azula sighed. "Okay, would you fight Lu Ten?"  
"Are you kidding me? He would smash me or let me win to make me feel better! And who can feel angry at the guy?"  
"Mother?"  
Zuko's eyebrows shot up.  
"I guess that's a no then..." Azula muttered, "Father?"  
"Sure, I hate him with my life but he would beat me to a pulp and spit on my bones for not being tough enough."  
Azula shook her head with amusement.  
"The instructors?" she asked, getting slightly more desperate.  
"I feel nothing for them. They are just people. I don't particularly like them but I hardly get angry at them. They are only doing their job." Zuko reasoned.  
Azula growled angrily. "Mai?"  
Zuko blushed red and shook his head.  
"Fine then, Ty Lee it is. I'll tell her to and it'll be fine. She won't mind too much if she's burnt, not if she knows what she is meant to do."

Zuko stared at Azula. He shook his head in amazement.  
"You know you wanted me to teach you how to be nice. I think we need to start Step One here and now. You ask your friends politely if they want to do things and you don't threaten them. When you next see Ty Lee you would say, 'Ty Lee, please would you help Zuko with his fire-bending training. It may involve getting burned. You don't have to if you don't want to.'" Zuko did the last half with a high pitched squeaky voice and Azula rolled her eyes.  
"Okay then, breathe in and feel anger at the thorn bush and let loose!" The thorn bush burned and the rest of the plants sighed in relief.

(X)

"If you play a lotus tile, Uncle says that it would make something totally different!" Zuko grinned as he tried to explain a special move to Azula who looked bored already.  
"Children, Your father wants you to dress up nicely and –" Mother peeked into the room and paused as she saw the two of them sitting cross-legged playing Pai Sho in very fancy clothing. Zuko was 10 now and life had changed a lot. Lu Ten, his brave cousin fighting away in Ba Sing Se had died and his uncle Iroh had given up and was heading home. Life with Azula had been progressing slowly too. She was slowly becoming nicer and he was rapidly moving towards Azula's level of excellence, but most of all, he enjoyed fire-bending.

"Coming Mother." Another thing Zuko had learned was when to speak and when not to by judging how people feel by their stance, something Azula had managed to teach him on his way, Agni knew how. Now he felt so in sync with her, they moved in synch when they wished to, much to their mother's chagrin. They both stood up and smiled fleetingly at each other before moulding into the perfect fire-children heirs.

They walked with Ursa down the corridors, sweeping elegantly until they reached the door of the Fire Lord's council hall. The frame was decorated in typical Fire Nation style and the swaying curtain in the middle was elegant. Azula bowed her head and Zuko quickly copied her noticing the figure at the door with them.  
"You are earlier than I expected Ursa." His voice boomed.  
"This was all because of your _remarkable _children." She murmured, "They were already dressed up fancy, for _playing Pai Sho_." They looked at the two children whose heads were down, silently snickering.  
"Very well, let us go, the Fire Lord is waiting."

(X)

"I would like to show you the skills of my daughter Azula. Azula, demonstrate some of your _special_ skills." Azula smirked and stood up. Zuko flashed her, an almost unseen 'thumbs up'. She smirked and saluted to her grandfather Azulon. Then she let the inner fire guide her moves, fluidly moving in powerful movements. The fire spread and shot upwards in arch and curves, her most impressive display. She felt herself breaking; she was so tired by channelling this much chi through her.  
"Go Azula!" came in a whisper and she felt happy and stronger with Zuko's support. She decided to improvise and flipped backwards into a somersault and shot a pillar of flame into the air that was blue, a colour she had never seen before. She then shot a blast of this blue fire into the ring surrounding her grandfather before walking back to her place.

"Father, I would also like to show grandfather _my_ skills." She kept her eyes low as her father almost gaped, if it wasn't dignified. When nothing saying otherwise came, Zuko stood up. She noticed her mother looked worried and she felt a sharp stab of savage jealousy.

Zuko bowed drawing an arc of fire in the air before standing straight. Azula almost winced at his stance, it was atrocious. That was, until she saw him draw his dual swords from where he had been hiding them and thrust them elegantly in another direction. He bowed and started a complicated dance of stabs and flowy movements while holding certain burst of fire in a particular shape. As he finished his routine, Azula recognised the shape and with a sweep, the final stroke came to show. He stood tall and proud behind the emblem of the fire nation before slashing it with the slice of his sword and it instantly disappeared. He wobbled before bowing.

Zuko grinned as he joined her back on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the astonished Ozai and thoughtful looking Ursa. But Azulon was not impressed.  
"What is this? What kind of grovelling are you doing? Get rid of your family and tell me your wish!" Ozai swatted his hand at them and Azula stood up.

Zuko sighed, breathing in and out. His head hurt and his arms ached so he dutifully followed Mother. But he was shocked when Azula dragged him behind the red curtain. He was about to protest when Azula shushed him.  
"What is it you want?" Azulon asked of Ozai.  
"Father, I want what is best for our people, as always. And Iroh being your heir is not what is best for our country. He was a great general, but since Lu Ten died...he has become weak. He abandoned the siege at Ba Sing Se after the boy died and has been weak and pitiful ever since. Now that Lu Ten has gone, he also has nobody to carry on his line. On the other hand, I have two perfectly healthy children and I am here for you Father. So I ask you to make me your heir instead of Iroh."  
Zuko's eyes felt like they would pop. Father wanted to replace Uncle Iroh. Azula on the other hand looked thoughtful but still rather shocked.

"YOU!" Azulon boomed. The ring of fire around him grew higher. "You would ask me to betray my first-born and replace him with you?"  
"Yes Father, for the good of the Fire Nation!" Ozai answered. Zuko shrunk back into the shadows, closing his eyes. He was staying here for Azula.  
"I think he has suffered enough. But you! Your punishment is only just beginning!" Zuko clenched his eyes shut and heard the telltale whoosh of fire.  
Then suddenly, to his shock and horror, he heard five words that changed his life. "Your first-born must die." He paled and ran out using the back door entrance to the curtains. Azula did not follow him.

He was curled up in his bed, sobbing into his pillow silently. He didn't want to die. Father would kill him and take over the world and 'tstrongenough! He heard the door creak open and sighed. Father was coming to kill him; the least he could do was put up a fight so he got ready and froze when he saw Azula sitting on the end of his bed. He furiously wiped away his tears. He would not want to seem extremely weak in front of the one he was supposed to protect—except the damage was already done.

Tactfully ignoring the tears on his face; Azula launched into a report of what she had done.  
"I stayed and I listened after you ran—Information _is_ power after all. Grandfather said that Father would have to do that because you had to feel the pain that Uncle Iroh had felt when he lost his son then, and only then would Father be able to be Fire Lord. Then, Mother burst into the room, apparently, she'd been listening in too and demanded that Father refuse the Lordship and keep you safe." Here, Azula grimaced and Zuko tapped the space next to him and Azula perched there looked angry and annoyed. Zuko didn't know and couldn't guess why she was so affected by this, but it didn't matter, she needed him.

Azula righted her expression to her usual smirk.  
"Anyway Azulon refused to listen and Father dragged her out. It was just getting juicy so I decided to follow them. They moaned and complained for ages and just when I was getting bored, Mother said the most surprising thing. She said if she could get Father on the throne, he would leave you alone. He was intrigued by this idea and she explained that she would attempt to seduce Grandfather and see the will and where he keeps it by trying to take the side of Uncle Iroh. Once she knows where it was, she would drug him, alter the will and then add the undetectable poison and voila, Father is the Fire Lord and you are safe. Fine. So she left to go get ready and I was about to follow her from where I was hiding but he slammed the door and I think he would notice if I opened it so I had to stay where I was. Then..." Azula's eyes shone with mirth, "He pulled a journal and started writing about the day's events. He-hahahahahAHAHAHAHA!" She shook the bed with laughter and Zuko joined her. It was ridiculous to even think of such a composed, evil and dignified person as Ozai writing a journal, but there it was.

Azula recovered her mood, slightly more sombre.  
"He then... wrote and it was funny him narrating the day's events because it was just ridiculous and then...oh god, he though Mother was a threat to his connection with us and he's going to banish her for 'unspeakable crimes to the Fire Nation' and he's going to banish her, then you and then...he's going to..." Azula's breath hitched and muttered something inaudible, drowned out by her heavy breaths before she started crying. Zuko's eyes hardened and he pulled her into a hug. It was the most loose and free and Zuko had seen her out of training. He held her for a while before knowing he couldn't expect the rest of the story from her. He pulled her into the bed holding her tight. He truly felt the part of the protector now. How dare the effing Ba***** even think about hurting her! Finally her sobs stopped and fell into a tight sleep. Zuko wanted to stay awake but his eyes slowly nodded off into dream land...

(X)

Ursa looked into the room where her son was sleeping. But to her surprise there were two figures curled up in the bed. Her youngest daughter was curled up in Zuko's arms, quiet and peaceful, so very vulnerable and human. She smiled and stepped backwards, she wouldn't disturb them, they would understand. But her step backwards had fallen on a loose floorboard and there was a load creak. Azula jumped out of the bed into stance, ready to obliterate. But Zuko recognised her.  
"Mum?"  
Azula dropped the stance but looked very worried. "Mother, you shouldn't be here. Father wants to banish you—or worse."  
Ursa's eyebrows crinkled but she said nothing.  
"Azula is right Mother, you should be leaving. I'm safe now. I'm at peace with myself. And I know that I have to stay out of trouble now. Or else, I'll be leaving. Have you killed Grandfather Azulon yet?"  
At this Ursa gasped. Nobody was meant to know about that...  
"Don't worry Mother, there was no one else listening in, only I. I would have seen them." Azula tried to reassure but on Ursa, it had the opposite effect.  
"You were listening?" she said sounding horrified.  
Zuko nodded. "Don't worry Mother. We'll be alright. Promise."  
She shook her head. 'You're growing up so fast; you shouldn't have to know this."  
"We're Fire Nation children, heirs to the throne; we'd have to deal with it sooner or later. And sooner was the better option in this case. We know how to deal with it...Mum." Azula said quietly.

Ursa's lip trembled before she swept her children into a hug. Zuko relaxed almost immediately and Azula slowly unstiffened her shoulders in the embrace. She looked them both in the eye and smiled at their determined faces.  
"Zuko, I love you. My little strong boy. You don't always have to be stoic though, let your emotions out sometimes. Do not forget who you are. Never Forget! Look after Azula and yourself, son. Remember, you are a Prince and always will be." Zuko nodded and saluted before a silent tear streaked down his face. Ursa turned to Azula who looked sullen.  
"My darling Azula. I may have possibly been the worst mother to you and done more damage than Ozai ever could. I...am so proud of you darling, for everything. You are worth being proud of, and I want you to keep it up. Look after Zuko and yourself. Remember though, being nice isn't a weakness; it's the best strength you could have, darling. The very best. Mummy's proud of you Azula."  
Azula looked at her Mother with hope and her face looked beautifully young and innocent, like her actual age of eight. She nodded and Ursa nodded quietly.  
"Stick together. The two of you together will be...unstoppable."  
"We will. We'll stay and bide our time. Once Father dies, we will take our rightful place on the throne and right the wrongs of the world. It isn't perfect and never will be, but we can try to make the closest thing to paradise, can we not? And we will dedicate it to you, the force of change." said Zuko solemnly.

"Stay safe Mother and watch for news of us and our feats. Go now, before you are discovered." Azula said in hushed tones and Ursa drank in her last look at her two children; Azula's stiffened shoulders but soft face, Zuko's righteous indignation but his strong silence and the look of wilful determination in both of their souls; before whisking the cape around her head and shoulders and swept into the corridors. As she left, she sensed them salute and smiled sadly.

**AN: Well how about that! Wow, I didn't know I could write this much as this pace. Especially not without some mistakes. If anyone reading notices any grammar mistakes because of my frenzied typing, please inform me by review or PM. This chapter is dedicated to my friend Yasmin and to the amazing voice tones of Grey DeLisle and Dante Basco which seemed to spark a story that might have already been overdone but just had to happen. **


	2. A look into Life and Danger

**Lightning Can Be Warm**

**Chapter 2**

**AN: What a surprise, this story for the moment seems more interesting than Potter Story! Has anyone seen the amazing dress-up and wardrobes that AlisaChristopher's done for the ATLA characters? If you haven't, you simply have to look it up on Google or DeviantArt. And who thinks that Toph and Teo are very compatible? Both of them have disabilities and neither of them let it handicap them. They're quite alike. Strange, isn't it? Also, later in the chapter I say stuff about Lightning that Iroh contradicts in the series. I don't think lightning is really fire-bending, especially since they introduced Energy-bending at the end of the series. I know energy-bending only seems to be taking other people's energy, the lion turtle does say that they used to bend their chi instead of an element and I think lightning is one of the chi-bending techniques that wasn't forgotten as it doesn't rest in one element, it's all of them in a way.**

Zuko looked down as he heard the words of Grandfather Azulon's cremation. He didn't want to watch. It reminded him of what Mother had done that night. He respected it and he had stayed strong but after Azula had stiffly departed to her room, he had cried himself to sleep. He sighed as he heard the whoosh of the fire and the weird Fire Sage announce Ozai as the Fire Lord. He bowed down because he had to, but he hated giving in, especially to Ozai who was the worst type of man in the world. Because he was evil but not the egocentric, megalomaniac kind of evil you found in stories. No, Ozai was the third type of evil person. He was the ruthless clever one, the type of bad guy that always won. And Zuko felt hopeless for the first time in his life, as the new Fire Lord made his speech to the eagerly waiting audience.

(X)

"So Zu-zu, how were you feeling when—" Azula was interrupted by a large cannonball of pink rushed towards her. Zuko laughed as he saw Ty Lee almost strangling Azula in the frenzied swirl-around hug. A girl dressed in black and maroon slouched against a curved pillar, her face plunged in shadow.

"She's been like this all day." She drawled and Zuko recognized the voice, if only faintly from what seemed like a lifetime ago. It made sense though. If one of Azula's friends was here, the other one would be too.

"Mai. How lovely to see you. How have you been?" Zuko remarked in as casual a voice he could muster.

"Fine, thank you, Prince Zuko. How have you been?" she drawled and Zuko could feel she was laughing at him.

"Small talk doesn't suit you Mai. What do you want?" She smirked.

"I don't _want _anything. I attended the Fire Lord's funeral and was dragged over here to see an old friend and attempted to make polite conversation." Zuko almost smiled. Almost.

"Oh Azula! Mwaaa!" Zuko whipped around at the loud exclamation and watched in disbelief and Ty Lee hugged and kissed Azula, holding a very expensive emblem of the Fire Nation reserved only for people that were high nobility and were usually given to the people held dear to the royal family.

Now he was smiling and soon outright laughing at the frozen Azula and the expression on her face. And Mai was sniggering at his side. But there were people looking at them disapprovingly so Zuko, stifling hiccupy laughs, dragged the frozen Azula and hyperactive Ty Lee outside to the garden. It was dark now and the moon was showing on a sliver of its light. Ty Lee had stopped assaulting Azula and gazed at the emblem with pride. She rubbed it against her tunic and pinned it in her braid, instantly making her look happier.

Azula had recovered her composure and handed Mai another emblem. "This is for you. You don't really like bright colours so I got it made in maroon." Mai smiled sadly and pinned it to her belt.

"Thank you Azula." As soon as Azula turned away to talk to Ty Lee about how long it had been, Mai turned to Zuko.

"All right, spill. What did you do to Azula? Brainwash her?" Mai threatened. "And if you dare hold information, you mustn't forget my skills, I don't rise and set with the sun, remember?" Zuko looked to her sleeve where an evil looking dagger stuck out and shone faintly against the moonlight.

He gulped. "Alright. I'll tell you, look..."

But he stopped at the smirk on her face. "You didn't mean that at all, did you?"

She shook her head unapologetically and the glimpse of the knife disappeared. He looked her thin lips and the eyes shining with hidden mirth.

"Right, that's it Mai. You are going down!" And he ran after her and she started running very fast through the gardens. They passed Ty Lee who was teaching Azula how to completely ignore her spine. Zuko stopped and panted in the middle of the garden. He stared at the fountain with a fish on the top. He remembered fighting Azula before and sat down to recover and remember.

"What's wrong Zuko? Are you tired?" Mai came and sat down next to him. She hadn't even broken a sweat and looked composed.

"This was where I first started slowly changing Azula. She was Ozai's before, his and his only. Then, I fought her and called her a monster. She was hurt by this and after overhearing a conversation of Mother's saying the same things, she came to me. We had, and still have a deal. I teach her to be nice and she teaches me fire-bending. We teach other things too, but in the end it comes down to that."

Mai put an arm around Zuko's shoulder and looked sympathetic but replied with a smirk on her face, "I asked if you were tired, not for your life story!" She looked at him and suddenly drew him into a deep hug. She then kissed him on the cheek and walked away, leaving Zuko behind, part shocked and part thoughtful...

(X)

"General Iroh, news has come in of a breakthrough in Chameleon Bay! We have overtaken the all of the villages around that area with great ease, if we move at this rate northwards; we shall overthrow Ba Sing Se!"

Zuko sighed as a messenger burst into the chamber where he and his Uncle Iroh were having some meditation lessons to make him stronger. It was against his nature to stay still and quiet for this long but he would do anything to be more on the side of the good and influence Azula more. He was 13 now and he was more scared for Azula than ever.

Ozai had started taking interest in their lessons and whenever they had a fire-bending lesson, they always went to the Royal Meeting Place and practiced under his watchful eyes. Zuko could remember the first lesson clearly. It had been a week after Ozai's coronation and Azulon's burial on a grey morning, bleak and dull.

_:: Azula and Zuko strode down the corridors, purposefully towards the door. They nodded to the newly appointed guards of the Royal Meeting Place though Zuko scowled at them darkly once they were out of sight, obviously Ozai hadn't wanted to die the same way as Azulon had. The flames around Ozai surged high as the two children walked in. Zuko bowed in the traditional Fire Nation way, with the left hand in a fist and the right hand straight before standing up straight._

"_Aah, my surprising son, and my dazzling daughter. You are here as I asked, right on time. Some may call it early. I have watched from the sidelines in your lessons and you have both surprised and surpassed expectations. You have both proved your skills at the Royal Academy and passed all the classes with flying colours. Most children finish their schooling at the age of sixteen. But I believe that you could finish it now! You Zuko at the age 12 and you Azula at the tender age of 10! The youngest complete fire-benders since the time of Agni himself! All you have to do is participate in a small sequence of duels against some of my best fire-benders—together." _

_Azula smirked at Zuko. An unseen thumbs up was flashed and they nodded simultaneously. Ozai smirked and two shots of fire blasted down from the ceiling which were about to hit them until he sent a streak of fire in an arch, absorbing them. An unspoken agreement had settled between the two of them and they sprung into the air. Ozai looked puzzled until he looked up and saw his two best agents fall to the ground, covered in soot and scorch marks. Azula and Zuko gently landed on the ground, not looking at all ruffled, in fact, looking rather innocent. The fire-benders quickly recovered and shot short quick blasts of fire at the two of them. Zuko quickly waved an armful of fire to absorb the shots. He quickly dissipated it and Azula sent long thin strands of blue fire straight at the places where the armour didn't cover them that weren't going to be fatal. Zuko, with two whips of fire-locked the fire-bender down and watched Azula deal with the other one. He sent many short blasts at her face and upper body which disappeared into thin air. She started walking towards him, unruffled and when she was close enough, sent one shot that knocked the wind out of him and tied him down with the same move Zuko was using._

"_Surrender?" they had asked at the same time to the opponents they were facing. There were slow claps from Ozai who was watching in the corner. _

"_Well done. All of the moves apart from the whips of fire were beginner moves. Attempting to show me how easy it was to fight them? Well, next time, I'll get better fire-benders. Dismissed."_

_He walked back to his seat and the fire shot higher than ever. Azula walked out gracefully and Zuko followed her, taking one last glance at the ashamed generals. ::_

"Zuko!" Zuko was startled out of his daze by a shout from Iroh. He looked his uncle in the eye, but he merely smiled and gestured to the teapot. Zuko nodded. Iroh poured it in the two cups at the side and handed Zuko one.

"It is Ginseng tea. My favourite. How are you nephew? What were you thinking in your meditative stance that kept you quite that occupied?"

Zuko frowned; normally his uncle wasn't this blunt. He was obviously very curious.

"I was just thinking about Oza—father. He started taking an interest in our lessons. Neither Azula nor I go to the Royal Academy any more. We both finished and we take private lessons with instructors now. He watches always, and if not him, an agent of his. It has become a game to see who can get rid of their tail the fastest. The only place I am not followed is here. Because they know of your reputation, Uncle." He felt awkward, he hated telling people what he was truly feeling but with Mai and Uncle, it was just so easy to say because they were quiet, listening souls that took away fear.

Iroh laughed while sipping the tea, "Of course they are frightened. I wasn't called Dragon of the West for nothing!" A gentle petering of fire blossomed out of his mouth and Zuko drew back, instinctively. Iroh looked horrified and attempted to console Zuko but Zuko nodded grimly.

"It's okay, Uncle. Thank you for the tea and the quiet room." He walked out of the room, leaving the cup of untouched tea on the table. Suddenly, another messenger ran into the room.

"General, Iroh, sir! Fire Lord Ozai has called a war meeting. He wants all the generals in the Royal Meeting Place at noon." Zuko paused in his step. He'd always wanted to go to a meeting but Ozai had never let him. Iroh had seen the pause and pounced.

"Nephew, would you like to accompany an old man to the War Meeting?"

Zuko sighed and answered without turning around. "If Azula can come too."

Iroh nodded. "So be it. Bring your sister and meet me at the Door at noon. Wear your armour and your insignia; you want them to recognize you as Crown Prince and her as Princess.

(X)

"I can't believe you got us into a War Meeting by making Uncle feel guilty! You are more skilled in manipulation than I thought!" Zuko grimaced at Azula's whispered words. He didn't feel like he'd manipulated Uncle...but had he?

"You know Azula, Lesson number 55, manipulating people isn't good, especially if they're on your side." Azula sighed by his side and Zuko grinned. Once she'd managed to get a decent act of looking like she was 'nice', she tried to stop having morality lessons but Zuko didn't give up.

They stopped outside the gate and the guard frowned at them.

"Children aren't allowed in the war meetings." Zuko gulped as the large bulky guard cracked his knuckles.

"Gabli! They're with me." He visibly sagged with relief at Uncle's arrival. Uncle looked at the two of them and nodded in approval at the armour and stance.

"Now, you stay with me and you listen and talk only when you are spoken to. Remember these people in here don't have to worry about killing you and they get angry...fast." Zuko nodded. He knew this message was aimed at him, Azula wouldn't even think of speaking out of turn.

Uncle led them in and sat them down close towards the flames, in front of Ozai. Zuko sat down and listened as General Qin explained about using the 41st Division of new recruits as a cannon fodder while the advanced troops ambushed the Earth kingdom army from the rear. Zuko's fists clenched, it was just wrong to use people with lives, hopes and dreams in such a wasteful manner like that. They were citizen of the Fire Nation and didn't deserve to be treated like that. He was about to defy Uncle and yell at General Qin when Azula laid a hand on his arm.

"Stay down, he'll murder you. And if not him, Father will." she whispered. "It's a rubbish idea, the ambush force is larger than the cannon fodder and will attract more attention but we _cannot _tell him it's wrong." Zuko marvelled how she didn't seem to be moving her lips while she was telling him all this. She wasn't even looking at him, instead gazing attentively at the general as he spoke.

He stayed quiet for the rest of that session, listening to the Generals' plans and seething silently at the wastefulness of the armies. He found it was a wonder that people wanted to be soldiers if they were treated like this. Azula seemed to agree with him as her fists were tightly clenched, but Zuko knew he hadn't completely got rid of her uncaring ways and her outrage was probably about the atrocity of the plans. He sat and he waited, it being the most difficult thing he had done in a long time.

"Aah. The next generation are with us today. Let us hear what they have to say about these plans. That is, if they aren't too advanced for you?" Commander Zhao taunted, seeing Zuko. Many of the Generals seemed to agree. Ozai nodded. The two of them argued quickly about who was going to speak before Zuko poked Azula and she stood up gracefully. Putting on her best little girl voice she started speak and as she spoke the faces of the generals slowly turned from scorn to awe and humiliation.

"Well, General Qin's plan for the back-stabbing of the 41st division is not only a betrayal of our troops who willingly came to fight us but a rubbish plan tactically. The ambush force is always smaller, more elite. You have got big burly men who fight head-on as the ambushing force. You want light, stealthy people like the Yu Yan Archers or the Azuli assassins. And the cover they would need is not there. It's at the edge of the Si Wong Mountain range, backing onto the desert. There is no cover! A better tactic would be to push them into the desert by pretending to be a spirit and haunting them and watch them starve by taking their water supplies. Or you could wait till they are drunk at night and slit their throats.

And Admiral Makur-Lee's tactics in the Mo Ce Sea were appalling! We only won because of the sheer number of ships and this was wasting soldiers who could have been used more effectively elsewhere! Half of a ship is underwater, isn't it? You could use nets underwater to catch the propeller and most of the ships; then fire the trebuchets and destroy them! Instead you waste troops on blockading the sea unnecessarily.

Then Commander Yun-Sun's problem's with a group called the Freedom Fighters is pathetic! These people live in the forest? Burn the forest to the ground! We're fire-benders, it isn't difficult! And if that doesn't work, use a shirshu and track them down then burn them or slit their throats! It's not worth sending soldiers out!

The problem at Jang Hui Factory is simply solved. Use the abundant supply of medicine and food that the people in the village have got. And if they complain? They are doing their service to the Fire Nation by helping the troops. And in the mean time, we send in an Azuli assassin. I know one that works for free at Fire Fountain City and she can stop the ambushers.

And the big issue; Chameleon Bay. The way towards Ba Sing Se. Except it's still a long way towards Ba Sing Se. You want to take the shortcut across the desert-like area and attack at the strongest point. Would it not be better to travel along the Fangu River that snakes off through the forest land? Food would be easier, not many people live in that area and the walls to Ba Sing Se are the weakest as it is furthest away from the actual city of Ba Sing Se.

Now Commander Zhao, any problems you see with any of those tactics? Didn't think so." Azula sat down and gratefully drank the cup of water Zuko handed to her, looking impressed and if she said so herself, jealous.

Ozai clapped slowly. "Maybe we should invite you two to more meetings. We might get more productive plans and tactics. War Meeting Dismissed. Commander Zhao, Admiral Makur-Lee, General Qin, Commander Yun-Sun and Major Akum, stay here."

Azula, Zuko and Iroh walked out of there quickly. As soon as they were away from any of the Geeral's in Iroh's chambers, Zuko and Azula burst out laughing. And laugh they did.

"Did you see their faces the more you kept talking Az? It was absolutely hilarious. Zhao's especially. He looked so stupid! Even Ozai was shocked! I told you to do it, just for the shock factor of an eleven year old girl knowing more about tactics then they do. And gods, you were amazing!"

Azula smirked. "I try. And I have to agree with you about Zhao, he just looked so stupid the more I kept talking." Iroh shook his head in amusement. "You two are lucky my brother was in a good mood today. Or I tell you, there would have been consequences. I admire you for keeping your tongue for so long, both of you looked outraged."

Azula sighed and the two of them exchanged a look. There would be consequences to this, there always was. But for now, they would laugh and smile and wait.

(X)

"Zuko?" Zuko turned around, feeling rather annoyed. He had been attempting to try archery so he could have some skill like the Yu Yan archers.

"What is it, Ty Lee?" he asked the little girl in bright pink clothes. She looked rather worried

"I can't find Azula or Mai anywhere. Do you know where they are?" Zuko frowned, had they not told her?

"Azula and Mai are at extra classes at the Royal Academy. Azula thinks Mai has potential to be a weak fire-bender. They won't be back until tomorrow evening. Why?" Ty Lee face fell and she looked hurt.

"Why didn't they tell me?" she whispered.

"I don't know. But my question still stands. Did you need them for some reason? You were meant to be acrobatics training. I think..." She smiled sadly.

"Yes I was, but it got cancelled. Apparently the instructor was ill. But I need to go into town and you can't go alone anymore so I wanted to ask them." Zuko frowned.

"Why can't you go alone?"

"Haven't you heard? There've been these attacks over the past week or so. Young nobles, mostly girls have been assassinated. So far, three are dead. Nobody's allowed to go anywhere alone. I asked the guards to escort me to here but they won't go shopping, they have more important duties."

Zuko sighed. He had a feeling he was going to regret it but he wasn't going to be responsible for Ty Lee dying.

"I'll go with you." Ty Lee brightened.

"Really? Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" He sighed as he pulled him into a bone squeezing hug. It wasn't like he had been making any progress with the bow.

(X)

"Is this one or this one better?" Ty Lee asked holding two _identical _cabbages up to him. He breathed in and breathed out. He was dealing with someone as fragile as a candle's flame; he couldn't blow up like he could with Azula or Mai.

"They're both the same; just pick the one in your left hand." She smiled and dropped the one in her right hand.

"These two?" she asked and he groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. She gasped and dropped the two radishes she had been holding.

"Are you alright, do you feel a headache coming on, I'll get some ragwort—"

Zuko put both his hands up, eyes widening in alarm. "I'm fine Ty Lee, I was just a little annoyed because the radishes were exactly the same." She relaxed but looked confused.

"Why were pinching there then? My healing teacher says you pinch there to prevent a headache or a nose-bleed. You weren't bleeding so I presumed it was a headache and they are painful!"

Zuko laughed. He was beginning to understand Ty Lee, just a little. She cared for people, in her exuberant bouncy way.

"None of your sisters are like that," he said as he paid for the food they had picked, "So how come you stay so bouncy and, well, different?" She drooped slightly. You wouldn't have been able to tell, but Zuko was watching closely. He understood Mai and Azula; he didn't understand Ty Lee and he didn't like not understanding.

"I guess it all comes down to being different. There are seven of us who look exactly the same and they enjoy it, but I hate it. I want to be recognised as someone who isn't one of the Ontslaan sisters."

Zuko looked at her with surprise. She had sounded so hateful, so angry, an anger he hadn't ever seen demonstrated by Ty Lee. And he realised, like indifference was Mai's technique ways for hiding anger and smugness was Azula's; happiness and chirpiness was Ty Lee's. So many new insights! New discoveries! Zuko felt very happy. He sighed and waited with Ty Lee in the queue for herbs and medicines. He waited. And waited. And waited. And got very annoyed. At his side, so did Ty Lee.

"What's going on?" asked Ty Lee impatiently and dragged Zuko to the front of the queue. They stopped. There were two trembling girls cowering on the floor as a big hulky man smirked and taunted them and everybody else watching looked very frightened and eager to get away from the area.

"What in Agni's name is going on?" she asked.

"Anovver li'l gal? Why don' you stay out of busyness that ain't yours and I won't have to 'urt ya?"

Zuko frowned; he had an itchy feeling he was going to have to fight. He breathed in and out, building up his chi flow towards his hands.

"No, it's my business because you are holding up the queue and I want to go home!" Zuko swore under his breath as she shouted in his face, this would not end up well. He almost slumped in relief when he didn't attack her.

"Okay li'l girly gal, these customers owe me a lot o' money and they ain't payin' it back. I given 'em plenty o' chances but they won't pay up. Makes sense I should get some kinda payment. They don't like the terms to my shop, they shouldn't shop from 'ere. Eeh?"

Zuko sidled up to Ty Lee. "Don't get him really angry Ty Lee, he's..."

"LET THEM GO!" she screamed, "THEY ONLY WANT MEDICINE!" Zuko hit his forehead as she paralysed him and the other five bulky soldiers rushed out from behind the shop. He sighed, it made sense that Ty Lee would piss off the most feared thug in the Fire Nation Islands. It wasn't for his fire-bending or his weaponry prowess. No, it was for his manipulations of scared or weak people. And there were a lot of scared or weak people in fire Nation. Just because they were winning the war against the rest of the world, didn't mean that they were winning against nature. People were frightened of war. But there was no time for thinking now. Ty Lee was being attacked by five, very angry people and she couldn't dodge forever.

Zuko breathed and sent a huge blast of flame at the five bad guys. He smiled in satisfaction as their skin burned and flaked. They were screaming and with an urgent shake of his head, he beckoned Ty Lee over to where he was. She quickly jumped over the dying people and stood by him. But these people had a reputation for a reason and they got up again, staring at him and just then, his fire-bending failed and it petered out. They smirked but so did Zuko. He wasn't without his tricks. He grabbed Ty Lee's arm and ran through the streets. He knocked over some fruit and vegetable carts after checking to see they were following. He twisted and dodged and pulled them out towards the coast, where it was emptier and he had more area to do the larger katas.

They blasted through but with a sense of glee, Zuko noticed there were only three men. With a deep breath in, he threw the fire across and threw them backwards onto a stone wall. He punched short blasts of fire at them, moving with relative ease. But he stopped as weak bursts of flame came out. He groaned, it had been cloudy for a long time and his powers were weak. Luckily he had other ways of dealing with people. He draw his Dao swords and slashed all of their throats in one go. He didn't even think about it once. He then turned around and looked at Ty Lee.

"Are you okay Ty Lee?" She looked rather green but nodded. Zuko accepted it and turned round and looked at the dead fire-benders. There was blood everywhere. And there were three heads on the floor, eyes wide open as they saw their death... He'd killed them. He'd killed them. He shook and threw up noisily on the floor. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You did it to help them. Don't be ashamed." She said. But how would she know? How would she know, she hadn't killed anybody and the people might have had families or people that would miss them.

"I know how it feels Zuko. I...might have accidently killed someone at the circus! But they were being mean and they were going to hurt poor Zin Wara. I-i-i killed them with dim mak. And I cried for three days straight afterwards. It's painful. But now, they're gone forever. They won't be hurting innocent poor girls who can't pay bills or can't tame platypus-bears. And you did it honourably. I think." Zuko snorted.

"Well, it's your fault Ty Lee. Why didn't you listen two more seconds? I was going to tell you that the guy was Gaaj Muhl. The Gaaj Muhl." Ty Lee's eyes widened so wide, Zuko could have sworn, they were the same size as a lion turtle.

"It is so like you to challenge the one guy who could kill us and get away with it." Ty Lee said.

'Wait, what? Me? It was all you Ty Lee!"

(X)

Toph groaned as Master Yu kept repeating the same patterns over and over for one of the easiest moves she had heard of. Ever since she had run away two years ago, everything seemed so much easier. She could see perfectly using what the badger-moles had unknowingly taught her. She sensed things as if she could still see and her parents didn't suspect a thing. Though Toph wished sometimes, that they would see how amazing she was and wouldn't hide her and pretend she didn't exist. But she had found one thing she was good at listening to-Bargaining.

Hiding in the rafters, little corners where they would never see her, Toph listened to her father negotiate prices between everybody and anybody that wanted to trade with them including Fire Nation. Among all this, her father was a politician and often discussed tactics and issue with important guests who never saw her. She listened to everything and absorbed it. Without a doubt she knew this would be useful. And a whisper echoed through her head that haunted her dreams where she could see things and colours. Where she was somebody else entirely. A friend of somebody who had disappeared a century ago. And he was friends with others, people dressed in red, people dressed in blue, people dressed in a very gaudy orange and yellow. And they all whispered things, things that she didn't understand, not yet.

_Do you believe friendships can transcend lifetimes?_

(X)

Zuko walked out of Iroh's room after having a firm telling off and a bit of a cry. He couldn't get the image of the heads on the ground, just looking terrified of him. Was he scary? In politics and life in the Fire Nation, scary was good. It meant enemies would think twice before attacking you. But a part of Zuko flinched from it. He didn't want to be scary, he wanted to be normal. He couldn't tell anyone, not Azula, nor Mai, nor Uncle. They would see him weak and though he knew family wasn't supposed to care, he didn't exactly have a normal family and he had no idea how to react. They wouldn't know how to react.

He stopped still as he saw a crying Azula on his bed. Immediately he was at her side holding her as she cried.

"What's wrong?" he asked her gently after she stopped sounding like she was going to die from crying.

"I can't do it." She whispered so quiet he had to strain to hear.

"Can't do what?" he whispered too, this was dangerous talk, and Ozai's spies were watching and listening always. In fact, him even consoling her like this could be dangerous but Azula needed him and she came first.

"Can't...bend...lightning..." she whispered and a few tears trickled down her cheeks. "Father's going to murder me. I lost a talent so valuable completely...I'm an idiot."

"No you are not Azula. No you are not! You were born lucky, remember? I was lucky to be born!" She looked at with an expression akin to 'Why are you reminding me you fool?' and laughed. He worked better when he was angry, because he was angry too often to count. At least he had been.

"Anyway, not being able to bend lightning isn't your fault! It's—let me try this, another way. To be able to cast lightning, you have to feel nothing right? It's not fuelled by emotion like other firebending, its cold fire and it's precise and deadly. To cast lightning you mustn't have any doubts, perfect peace of mind. You separate the yin and yang which creates imbalance. The energies seek to rebalance themselves and when they do, you harness the energy to shoot lightning. The problem you're having is your state of mind. I don't think you'd have any problem actually separating the energies. So what you need is ummm...whats the word? Peace, calm, relax...Azula?"

"Impassiveness?" she said, after a moment's pause.

"That's right! Impassiveness! Just know yourself. Be calm. Be you!"

Azula looked at him shrewdly. "You know, when you put your mind to it, you are a really creepily good teacher. Until you start asking the student for words. Then it all falls apart. But I'd like to see you explaining that to Father. He's still going to murder me. I'm so confused Zuko. I want what's best for the Fire Nation and I know that Father is evil but sometimes...he just acts like he used to. Before the siege of Ba Sing Se. When we were young. Sometimes he acts like can actually love us and I don't know. I was firmly on the side of taking over the world, then I was uprooted from all of my beliefs but I was shown that balance is the best way to go and I was fine on that path. Now I just don't know what to think! All I know is I want for you, Ty Lee and Mai to be okay."

Zuko smiled sadly. "That's one thing we're united on. But Uncle says when you don't know what to think, feel. At least, he says that in some really annoying proverby way. I mean what kind of advice is 'You must look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself.' He's so frustrating! But, going off topic, let your heart out, because the heart never lies."

Azula looked at Zuko and calmly hugged him.

"You are right, the heart never lies."

(X)

Sokka sighed as he watched Katara mother the little children of the tribe he had been trying to teach to protect the village for a long time. He was failing miserably of course but there was nothing wrong with trying. He glanced out to sea. Push and Pull. The tides swayed across the icy land. Katara was struggling to stay normal, stay dry. Since their mother had been murdered in front of her, she hadn't been the same. But since Dad had left, it had gone downhill. She wanted to be perfect and in control. So she was sugary nice and helped out and became a mother. But she listened to Gran-Gran. And Gran-Gran talked of Fire Nation being the worst people on Earth, people who didn't deserve to live.

Sokka prided himself on being rational. He hadn't met any Fire Nation people so couldn't form an opinion. Common sense and Gran-Gran tried to persuade him they were evil but he hadn't observed the majority of them so he couldn't know. And Sokka knew Gran-Gran's opinion was tearing Katara in half. One half wanted to be nice and like Mother. And the other half that wanted to rage and anger at the world and kill all Fire Nation people for what they were doing. Sokka knew the hate would fester when left untouched but he was trying and nothing was happening. And he had no proof to back him up, only a rationalist's point of view. And Katara wouldn't listen.

So he waited and he hoped. Hoped something would come along soon and make Katara pick one side so she wouldn't collapse and break. Hope wasn't rational but it was there and Sokka needed it. For life was still bleak. And Hope made it better.


	3. Loving and Leaving

**Lightning Can Be Warm**

**Chapter 3**

**AN: And the chapters just keep coming! I'll probably stop soon but I really like this story. Has anyone read Embers? It's a 100,000 fic that isn't complete yet. I like it a lot because it is rational in some ways but I think that Aang was portrayed as a bit too naïve and Katara as a bit too stuck in her ways. I can understand a part of her breaking when her Mother died and I can understand Kanna getting to her but I think that hatred, even she is proved wrong several times is just a bit too...dramatic. But the ending of the last chapter was tribute to Embers, so go read it! And yes, when writing the second last part of the last chapter, I was listening to McFly.**

**ML: Thanks for reviewing, do you not have an account yet? I'm glad you liked it. Koh is going to be a big factor in this world as you will see in this chapter...**

**Tsk tsk: I wasn't aware about this at all but I talked to James Golen and he's alright with it. I don't normally post authors comments this but you didn't leave me any way to contact you with the answer. I got the transcending lifetimes idea from the show when Roku talks about being friends with Gyatso and I wondered about Sud. I didn't want to add Sud as another character so I thought of characters similar to what we see of him. And Toph just jumped to the front of my mind and the idea set in. The name must have been a coincidence but I saw the pointlessness of that so I changed it.**

Mai sighed as she walked out of her rooms towards the palace. Today, Azula had wanted some help in armed combat and she and Zuko were going to teach her as she was pretty much hopeless. She blushed very slightly as she thought about Zuko. She hadn't necessarily become friendlier with him and she was nowhere near being in the relationship she somehow wanted to be but he trusted her and that was enough.

She was about to exit the house when two spears that the guards used blocked her path.

"You need to see your parents. You mustn't leave until you see your parents." Mai sighed, not this again. A long time back, before she had gained the emblem of Azula's, her Mother took to trying to keep her quiet so her Father couldn't lose any political standing. She got everything she wanted if she was quiet and composed. She still did, but her Mother gave up trying to control her a long time ago. Though why, she still hadn't worked out. Maybe it was something to do with Azula's emblem.

She walked to the elaborately designed room and knocked on the door.

"Mai." Her mother said, pushing her into the room. Mai looked around. There were boxes filled with clothes, shoes and papers strewn over the floor and her mother's hair was for once not in its tight bun but loose only with a small topknot.

"Your Father has been promoted! Isn't that great? We get to go to Chìrè Hūyìng! The Glowing Echoes! The beautiful quaint little—

"Just tell me the truth. Father would never get promoted, we're being demoted. No. You're being demoted, I am a faithful ally of Princess Azula, and she would never send me away if she had a choice, which she currently does. You are being sent away for being useless and you presume that I will come with you." Mai said all of this without an expression on her face, her nightmares still echoed of Koh and her Mother using expressions against her.

The guilty and shocked expression on her Mother's face gave the game away completely before she even spoke a word.

"Yes, I thought so too." And Mai walked out of the room and out of the house. The impertinent guards were splayed to a wall by shruiken knives and anybody who attempted to smile at her was cowed into submittance.

She slammed the door to Zuko's room open and he sat on the end of his bed attempting to aim a bow at the target on the wall with Zhao's badly cartooned face. He looked at Mai at the last moment and let the arrow loose. The arrow was sent flying, ricocheted of surfaces before landing haphazardly in one of his eyes. He smirked before looking at Mai truly and he patted a space next to him.

"What's going on with you Mai? Your eyes are showing expression. Anger, Hurt, Betrayal and a sense of..." he peered closely into her eyes. "Aah. I see now. You're afraid. And you are afraid of being afraid."

Mai nodded, she didn't understand how he had done that, how he had summed her feelings up in one big—

"Uncle. He taught me how to refine this, muttering something about being a white lotus. Why he was comparing me to a Pai Sho tile, I'll never know. Now tell me why you feel so negative. Well, more negative than usual."

Mai hesitated. "Mother and Father have been demoted to the Glowing Echoes and they've assumed that I want to go with them, when I'd much rather stay here and enjoy myself once in a while." Zuko smiled.

"Nice to know you want to stay." She blushed very slightly.

"Azula and Ty Lee, Zu-zu." He smirked at her and she flashed a shruiken knife at him. He grinned and pointed at the various weapons decorating the room.

"I win. For once."

She rolled her eyes and tucked the little knife away. "Sometimes I really forget you're a Prince, because you sure don't act like one."

Zuko smirked. "That's more Azula's forte. I'm blend in and hide. Mostly."

"Your stunt with Taurus Majul was hardly 'blending in'." Mai said archly.

Zuko smiled. "I guess it wasn't. Do you want to talk to Azula now?"

Mai rolled her eyes and walked out of the door. Zuko waved at her as she left and she smiled. She'd listened to him so many times, now he'd repaid the favour. Though, Mai suspected that he'd been spending a lot of time with General Iroh to achieve that sense of annoying happiness and 'I-know-more-than-you-do' atmosphere.

(X)

Mai stood outside the house she had lived in for a long time, watching delivery men load up the carriages. Her mother was weeping as she and Father came out of the house and walked towards Mai.

"You won't come with us? Your parents who have looked after you for 11 years?"

Mai sneered very slightly. "Looked after me? I looked after myself. I made my life, my own. You were merely obstacles and Father being a diplomat was a way for me to get into the Royal Academy where I met my very best allies, Azula and Ty Lee. What have you done for me? You suppressed my emotions and kept me down. I owe you nothing."

Mother started weeping again and entered the carriage. Mai waved sarcastically as they went by and seeing this, her father started crying. Mai rolled her eyes and walked away towards the palace without looking back.

(X)

"What do you want me for?" asked Azula as she walked with Zuko towards the Capital. Zuko blushed darkly.

"You're a girl. And you're friends with Mai. Her birthday's coming up...and I wanted to get her something special. I wanted you to help me."

Azula smirked. "So, little Zu-zu's got feelings for my best friend Mai." He looked down but made no indication otherwise.

They passed Ty Lee's house where they saw two of her sisters fire-bending at each other on the porch and Ty Lee herself watching in boredom on the roof. Ty Lee noticed them and leapt agilely from where she was perched and landed elegantly in front of them

"What'cha doing?" she asked perkily.

"Zu-zu's trying to find the perfect birthday gift to Mai cause he lurrrrves her..." Zuko looked at her curiously, she sounded remarkably like some of the girls he saw out on the streets normally.

"Azula, why do you sound like one of the commoners?" Zuko said, eyebrows arched high. Ty Lee laughed and they kept walking.

Azula blushed scarlet then frowned and held herself aristocratically. "It's just you've never really been this open about liking her. We all knew you liked her but...the two of you are so private..."

"Well isn't that a good thing? Zuko's more open now. And we can all plot on what Mai's birthday party should be like." said Ty Lee happily and flipped herself onto her hands. Zuko just stared as she continued to walk down the road in this fashion.

"Don't even ask." whispered Azula, "She just...does. Somehow."

Zuko shook his head and the two of them followed her.

(X)

"Perfume!" Ty Lee shouted exuberantly as they moved through the bustling city.

"No." said Zuko, "I am not giving Mai...perfume. That implies she smells bad. Which is most definitely not true."

"Fine then...Food!" Ty Lee suggested.

"No!" Azula scoffed. "That's just not something you someone for a birthday present! And definitely not Mai."

Ty Lee paused reflectively, resulting in bumping into a fast moving pedlar carrying a box of anklets. As could be expected they spilled all over the floor.

"I've got it! Jewellery! It's stylish, classy and means you have serious feelings for her!" Ty Lee beamed helping the old lady pick up her wares.

Zuko smiled. Jewellery. "Yes." And Ty Lee smiled so wide that he could swear she would burst. Azula smirked.

"Surely you have to give her a ring?" Zuko gaped at her and she shook her head. "I can't believe that actually worked. That was one of the worst jibes I've made at you."

Zuko blushed. "Rings are immediately excluded. Earrings are for barbarians. Necklaces are for engagement..."

Azula paused. "What if you did just that?"

Ty Lee squealed. "Oh Spirits! You could give her a betrothal necklace! You could get engaged to her!"

Zuko stopped in his tracks. "Engagement? I haven't even talked about- I don't even know whether she likes me back!"

Ty Lee paused. "Fine. No engagement. But bracelets are for sweethearts. Get her a beautiful bracelet that's very expensive and a special gift I'll organise for you..."

She whispered in his ear. Zuko grinned. "That's perfect. She'll love that. It'll be very therapeutic and she'll be _Glowing._"

Azula smirked. This is going to be just great..."

(X)

Mai sighed as she woke up. She stared at the red ceiling, it was her birthday and she didn't even think they knew it was. With her parents, she was given a small gift and she was given a bit more freedom than usual. She pulled herself out of the warm bed sheets and opened the window and sighed. It was still dark; no one would be awake yet. Then she noticed a light from the window and watched as the sun rose. She could almost hear the majority of the place wake up. She rolled her eyes. Fire-benders.

She then noticed a trail of characters leading out of her room. On her desk was a sheet of paper and a brush with ink. Written on the top was 'Rub them out as you go.' Mai touched the first one. The black dust coated her finger. Charcoal. She copied it down and rubbed it out with her foot. She copied down the letters in her room before pulling on her outer layers as quick as she could. She opened the door and followed the letters, copying them down and rubbing them out as she went. She was so engrossed in what she was doing, something completely interesting and new, that she didn't notice all the servants openly laughing and flashes of decorations in their hands.

She walked down the stairs writing all the characters down in order and mysteriously they stopped. She frowned and sat down a chair provided and put the spaces in the most obvious places and stared at the surprising message tattooed across the page in her stylized writing.

Have an exciting Birthday.

She heard a Tsungi horn play the distinctive birthday tune she had heard in the Royal Academy. She looked up and stared at the small band of musicians burst into a livelier rendition of it with the Pipa and Erhu adding a distinct funky tune. She smiled as three people she knew very well entered the room.

Ty Lee gave her a big hug, running in and Mai just held her hands open and waited. She soon let go and smiled happily. Ty Lee pushed a brightly wrapped package into her hands

"Here Mai, Happy Birthday!" Mai slowly opened it and smiled faintly at the new set of robes. Ty Lee's sense of fashion had reached over into this and it wasn't nearly as modest as the rest of her clothes were, but luckily, they were in her dark colours.

"Thank you Ty Lee." She murmured. Ty Lee beamed and walked over to the musicians and started flirting with one of them.

Azula was next. She came towards Mai and she curtly nodded and Mai nodded back.

"Well, it's official. You're two years older than me." said Azula. Mai smiled faintly. She had forgotten. Azula passed her a regally wrapped present. Mai opened it. She looked at the newer, sharper range of knives with her name inscribed in a faint gold. It was her kind of present.

She was about to thank her when she remembered and bowed in the traditional manner. Azula smirked.

"It was nothing. Enjoy yourself and burst the ego of a few soldiers, will you?" Mai scoffed. That was the new Azula, well and truly.

Finally Zuko came up to her. He blushed a lot and seemed to be scratching his neck in fervent anticipation. He thrust the badly wrapped present into her hands, flushing. He looked down to the ground uncomfortably, a furious redness filling his cheeks. She opened the present, without taking her eyes off him. She stared at a very delicate box. She opened it and in it was a beautifully intricate bracelet made of gold and moulded like fire and part way through it was a beautiful sparkly maroon stone. She slipped it on her hand and stared at the beautiful effect in the light as it glittered a different colour completely.

"I bought it because it's like you. It has two sides. The dull mask that is beautiful in its own way and the amazing person underneath." He looked really awkward so she gripped his hands that were moving faster than she'd ever seen and looked him in the eye.

"It's really nice. Thanks." He smiled and she was about to lean in to-

"Ahem!" The two of them sprung apart quickly at the sound and blushed deeply at the smirking Azula and an oddly shrewd Ty Lee. "If you are going to do that, please, do it at tonight's celebrations. For now, we have to head to the Royal Academy to watch the two of you graduate early! Congratulations!"

Mai rolled her eyes. "How long is that going to take?"

Azula didn't answer. Mai swore under her breath silently and Zuko squeezed her hand gently.

(X)

"Is it finally over?" Mai asked as she finished pushing her way through the crowd gathered at the palace. Contrary to most people's opinions, Fire Nation nobles loved a good party, as long as there was etiquette and manners and they loved parties on honour of progress and talent. It also helped it was her birthday and when Azula and Ty Lee were in charge of anything, it became overly complicated such as a party with more than half of the Fire Nation capitol packed inside the Royal Banquet Hall, eating good food and congratulating her and Ty Lee.

Zuko gave one last shove to the people in front of the four of them and they entered the Royal Gardens. It was new moon and the candles were lit so people could see. Zuko artfully steered past the stragglers on the outside of the party and Azula took lead and they navigated through the labyrinth they had explored when they were children. They entered the middle and Mai sat down on a wooden bench. Ty Lee perched beside her and ripped off the extra layers of clothing required for formalities and relaxed in her usual pink attire. Azula send bursts of fire to light the lamps and illuminate the rather spooky atmosphere while Zuko sat on the ground next to Mai.

Ty Lee paused and looked around awkwardly before blurting out something. "I'm leaving."

This stopped Azula in her tracks as she lit the last candle. The look of hurt and betrayal still etched on her face.

"You can't leave! I refuse! You can't, you can't! I won't let you!" Azula shouted angrily, a single tear streaking down her face. At this Ty Lee started crying too and threw her arms around Azula.

Zuko looked at the crying weeping huddle and shuffled further away from it. He inclined his head towards them and pointed at Mai. Mai shook her head fervently but he jabbed the air roughly and Mai rolled her eyes. She put her arms around the two of them and slowly calmed them down with reassuring words in her flat tone.

Finally they stopped crying and Mai sat down, guiding them towards the bench too. They both perched on it, Ty Lee occasionally sniffing and Azula's face set into a blank expressionless mask.

"So, where are you heading?" asked Zuko into the stifling silence.

"The c-circus. It's v-very lively and e-everyb-body is friendly. They'll know me as T-ty Lee, the a-amazing acrob-bat, c-contortionist and a-a-a-animal tamer! Not a-as the noble g-girl who's gonna marry some old smelly general and as one of seven identical s-sisters." Ty Lee stammered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"We'll miss you Ty Lee." Zuko said with a sad smile. This started her off again and Mai patted her back, avoiding her gaze.

"Well, I suppose this is the only chance I'll get to give you my other present, Mai." Zuko said and rummaged in his pocket. He came up triumphant and placed a golden envelope in her lap. She stared at it.

"Go on, open it!" said Azula, sounding irritated.

Mai slowly opened the cover and drew out two maroon tickets. She waved them in Zuko's face. 'What the heck are they?"

Zuko laughed. "They are tickets." He said with a flourish of his hand and before Mai could retort he carried on. "Tickets for a palanquin ride to the Glowing Echoes!" Mai looked at him, a steely look in her eyes.

"You don't fool me Mai. You may not like them, but they _are _your parents, and you still care about them a little, even if you deny it. And look, if you can't face them alone. You can take one of us with you. It's next week today."

Mai nodded, not looking at anybody. "Azula?" she asked dully.

Azula shook her head. 'I can't Mai. Father has arranged for me to go organise some troops in the Earth Kingdom and I leave on that day. Zuko could have come...but he didn't want to. Which I found weird." Zuko blushed red and looked away.

Mai turned slightly towards Ty Lee. "You Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee hugged Mai and shook her head. "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I can't."

Mai turned towards Zuko. 'I guess I'm stuck with you, since I'm not going alone."

Zuko grinned and hugged Mai. Ty Lee threw her arms around them and tugged Azula into the hug too.

"We'll be in each other's hearts, always. We're unstoppable, Agni wouldn't separate us forever. If he did, I'll go up to the spirit world and knock the chi out of him so he can't meddle with other people's lives!" said Ty Lee fiercely.

Azula smirked. 'After you did that, I would zap him with lightning."

"Then I would stick a few shruiken knives in his dying body." said Mai rather roughly.

"And I would roast him into ashes and get Uncle Iroh to replace him." finished Zuko angrily.

"Why fuddy-duddy Uncle?" asked Azula. 'Why not Father? Why not you!"

"Uncle is more suited to it than us. He knows what's good for everybody. Ozai would obliterate the world if he was Agni and I would miss you all too much to be a spirit."

Mai leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Happy 13th birthday Mai..." Zuko murmured.

(X)

A thins sliver of moon shot down on the image of Ty Lee and Azula hugging. Ty Lee wore an extravagant ensemble of white and pink clothes with a cute little gold tiara.

"I'll miss you Azula!" Azula nodded wryly.

"I'm sure you will. Say, you couldn't give me like a timetable of the places the circus will be going and where? If it's near where I am in my tours, I might come visit you. I'll make sure Zuko comes too. I can't guarantee anything about Mai though."

Ty Lee sniffed before darting away into the shadows. A flyer floated down and Azula picked it up with a sad smile. She wouldn't forget. Ever.

(X)

Mai sighed as the escort from the palace took her and Zuko towards where the carriages were. She really didn't want to go and see her parents. Zuko hopped into the brown coloured carriage and offered a hand up to help her in. She took it and stepped up. He drew the curtains and they started moving. They sat at opposite ends of the carriage and glanced awkwardly at each other.

"So..." they said simultaneously. Zuko nodded and gestured for Mai to begin.

"I...don't want to go back. I don't love them. I hate them Zuko!"

Zuko shook his head. "You can't. You may think you hate your parents but you can't. They're your parents; you have a bond with them you can't break. Ever."

"What about you and your father then, you've said it enough times, you hate him!" Mai said, the closest she'd been to being annoyed.

"I said he's evil, not that I hate him. I can't hate him. I just can't. No matter how much I want to. Because he wasn't always evil. When Azula was very little, before we knew she could fire-bend, Heck, before they knew I could fire-bend; he was...a good father. He loved us both and treated us all well. We were happiest on Ember Island, away from the Fire Nation capital. But when he figured out Azula could fire-bend at the same level I could when I was seven when she was five with more refined movements...he stopped. It wasn't an overnight change, he was more cunning that. But he began to treat Mother and I with more distance and he expected perfection and he wanted power. And he became who he is now and I stopped calling him Dad or Father but Ozai or Fire Lord. He of course, thought I was becoming a good son. In reality, I'm detaching myself. But there will always be a strand connecting us, however thin. Because he's my father. Even if he is evil and rubbish at it."

Mai paused. Zuko had talked to the ground the entire time, but she could feel the sincerity. 'I guess I owe something to them. But we don't have to stay. We can go, say hi and go on a tour for the rest of the day. I've heard the caverns made by the waterfalls are beautiful." She attempted to stay calm but Zuko could see her and shut herself up, pulling the strings to her personality tight. Tighter. Tighter.

Zuko stared at Mai. Something was wrong. She wasn't normally this closed up and resilient. Normally she went with the flow but something was happening as they got closer the Glowing Echoes and Zuko didn't know what. So he decided to bluff it.

"I see now."

She looked startled and Zuko almost smirked but he needed to keep his bluff going.

"I know what's wrong with you Mai. You are terrified. You are terrified of reaching the Glowing Echoes because of your parents. Your parents did something to you. Need I continue?"

She hunched up tighter. Zuko sighed, his bluff had failed and she was more closed up. But he looked up, realising that she had sighed at the same time and unravelled.

"You know my mom. You know that she was an Azuli assassin. You know everything. Why should I even speak when you already know?"

"Because it will help you, it's therapeutic talking to people about your deepest fears?" Zuko said hopefully, knowing he was doomed.

"You're right. Okay, I'll start from the beginning. The Azuli were a group of women who were stealthy and showed no emotion whatsoever. The Fire Lord of that time a long time ago was friends with the Avatar and boasted that the Azuli showed no emotion at all in their entire lives. The Avatar wasn't very pleased by the arrogance showed by the Fire Lord and wanted to test that claim. So he asked Koh to follow round the Azuli for a year and see if they showed emotion. If they did, Koh would be allowed to take their faces and the Fire Lord's face. If they didn't they escaped intact. So he followed them around for a year. Not a single emotion. Ever. Koh was so pleased with them, he granted them special powers from the spirit world. They were gifted with extra-special knowledge and stealth. They became very favoured by the Fire Lord and were enormously successful, threw fear into the hearts of bad guys, etcetera. This trend carried on for a few decades before the Azuli assassins' descendants decided they didn't want to do it and abandoned it.

My mother found out about the Azuli assassins from bedtime stories and she longed to be one. She looked through her family trees and realized that she was related to an Azuli assassin. She followed all her friends' family trees and they too were related to an Azuli assassin. My mother realized that they had been put together for some reason. She interpreted it as the spirits. So she put herself into deep trances and took to meditating wherever she was and schooling her face into impassiveness. And one day, she slipped into the spirit world and stayed there for a year. When she came out, she was an Azuli assassin. What she did there, she never told anybody. I asked her once and she said it was unspeakable, but something she had to do to get the spirit's approval. But something went wrong. She fell into a trap and got married and had me. She lost anything she might have been as an Azuli assassin. So she told me stories at night and got revenge on her husband. And she told me that Koh was watching, waiting to get rid of the two people that kept the best Azuli from reaching her potential. I try not to show emotion. I try, I really do, but sometimes, I feel him trying to take my face."

Zuko pulled her close to him. "They're just stories. And it's your imagination. I swear on my best hat, that there is no spirit attempting to take you. Promise."

Unfortunately for Zuko, fate was determined to prove him wrong. There was breeze and the two of them instantly fell asleep and their souls were transported to the spirit world. Zuko stared in wide shock before realizing his previous comment mightn't have been the best thing to say.

They were in a darkened cove, with tree roots extending everywhere. He looked at Mai, whose face was expressionless. Completely, not the wry boredom she usually showed and Zuko realized truly and completely where they were.

"Agni's great-." He schooled his face expressionless and looked into the dark shadows of the cove, waiting for the Face-Stealer.

"So, you have finally arrived, Mai. Mai, Mai, Mai. The person who robbed the woman with the most potential to be an Azuli assassin, I've seen in years. But of course, there _is_ you. Your skill with shriuken knives is commendable, especially at your young age. And that face, so expressionless. I have called you here because of a claim from your little boyfriend that there wasn't a spirit attempting to take you. I_ love_ proving people wrong. And he's...so wrong! I'm watching you. If you show any signs of emotion...WHAM! No face. Bye Bye now! Toodles!"

Mai jerked back into consciousness. She automatically moved to Zuko to check if he was alive. She sighed in relief as she felt him stir. He opened his eyes and they sat in silence for a few moments before Mai disturbed it with a faint smirk etched on her face.

"You owe me a hat. A fancy one."

And Zuko laughed. But Mai kept her mask, the warning from Koh echoing through her head.

"We're here Mai. Come on." He looked at her blank face. "Do you really believe he'll watch you every single second? He won't have that much influence in the mortal world."

Mai looked at Zuko. "You're more naïve than usual. The Azuli started because Koh watched them day in, day out."

Zuko looked at her with pain across his face. "But it's myth, from generations back."

Mai laughed bitterly but her face stayed the same. "He's one of the oldest spirits the world has ever seen, who knows how much power he has? And it wasn't myth. How else did they become prophets without the spirit's guidance?" She didn't look him in the eye as she stepped out of the carriage. She looked up at the big house. Nice to know her parents were still being treated well after their fall from grace. Then again, they were nobles. She knocked on the door. She felt Zuko approach behind her and place a hand on her shoulder.

The door was opened and fraction by one of the servants from the old house.

"Mistress Mai! Come in! I'll tell your parents you have arrived."

He ushered her and Zuko into the house. She followed him through the oddly bright hallways. They arrived in a bright area with two benches laid out with cushions facing each other.

"Please, make yourself at home, mistress. The Master will be back soon." Mai moved the cushions and sat down Zuko grabbed the cushion and fluffed them up before setting them aside gently before sitting down too.

Her father entered the room and threw his arms around Mai.

"You're back! I missed you my darling daughter! Are you staying?"

Mai was about to answer scathingly when Zuko cut in over her.

"We'd love to stay the night. The carriage doesn't leave until morning." Her Father beamed and she looked at Zuko. He whimpered but didn't take the statement back.

"Oh, Mai? Your mother is in her room. She wanted to see you but she had to...you'll see. It's the second on the left if you take this corridor.' He pointed. Mai thanked her Father dully and dragged Zuko along with her, without looking back at him.

"What was that Zuko?" she said flatly.

"What was what?" he said, attempting to sound innocent.

"Staying the night. I don't want to stay here! I didn't even want to come! I assumed it would be a DAY VISIT!" she shouted at him.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "It'll be FINE! Trust me Mai. We'll leave in the morning."

She rolled her eyes and knocked on her Mother's door.

"Come in!"

She entered the room and her jaw dropped tenfold at what she saw. Her mother holding a very small baby dressed in red and rocking him to sleep, singing and cooing at him.

"Mai, you have to admit, at the moment, she doesn't exactly seem the fierce scary mom you were on about the one that sided with Koh! I'm sure it was an over exaggeration." Zuko whispered in her ear. She was inclined to agree...

Until she turned around. Mai blanched at the look of pure fury.

"What are you doing here Mai?" She could hear Zuko's chattering teeth and placed on a look of placidness and an air of smug superiority that often was Azula's.

"I heard the good news about my little baby...sister, is it?"

Mai's mother looked angrier. "No actually, you have a little brother. The new heir to the Konietziko Fortune."

Mai smirked. "The very much non-existent Konietziko fortune. But pray tell, what is my little brother's name?"

"If you must know, it's Tahm-Tahm. A very decent Fire-Nation name. Unlike yours, a very Water-Tribe name." her Mother sniped.

"_You_ named me. Well, Koh named me. After all, you don't have any willpower, do you?"

Her mother put down Tahm-Tahm as quickly as she could and turned to slap Mai but Mai was faster and four shriuken knives pinned her mother to the wall.

"Don't ever do that again Mother. I will take taunting. I will take blatant bids for power. I will even take suppressing of feelings, for they have come in useful, but I will not tolerate physical abuse. Have you hit Father yet? Or maybe even Tahm-Tahm? You must be careful of your temper, it's a wonder Koh hasn't moved on from you yet. He abandoned the other Azuli assassins quickly enough. That being said, why hasn't he moved on?"

Her mother smiled almost like a crazed woman. "I stayed with him for a year and did things to him that shouldn't be mentioned in front of children such as yours truly." Zuko who had been looking curious turned a violent shade of green and looked like her wanted to puke.

"That is gross. From what Uncle has said from his travels in the Spirit World, Koh looks like a giant caterpillar. He only steals faces not bodies..."he whispered. Now, Mai felt ill.

"Now my boyfriend here has already told Father I will be staying the night, so for Father's sake I am staying. Good gay, Mother." Mai slammed the door in her Mother's face and walked out with Zuko.

"Wow Mai. Way to attempt to reconcile with your Mother. You completely alienated her."

"Well she's now alien to me. I can't even recognise her! And she doesn't act like a Mother! She just threw the fact that I'm not heir to a non-existent fortune in my face!"

She looked at Zuko with an angry expression on her face. But stopped dead in her tracks when he smiled.

"At least one good thing came out of that."

"What good thing?"

"You're finally calling me your boyfriend!" Mai looked Zuko in the eye and twitched very slightly before turning around. He snatched her hand and held her close to him and smelled in the scent of her hair.

"I'm sorry Mai. I'm sorry I tried to reconcile something that didn't exist. I assumed your family was exactly like mine and so in turn probably ruined anything you may have had."

"Don't be sorry Zuko. It's fine. I think. But I still hate you for making me stay."

Zuko chuckled and held her hand.

"Of course you do Mai. Of course you do..."

(X)

Mai sighed as she saw her Mother out in the garden. She turned away, not looking. It was childish but she really didn't want to even think about her mother. Zuko had wanted to see the town and do a little informal inspection but Mai had wanted to stay in the house. She felt something tugging her robes. She sighed, she hated when her robes got stuck to the floor. She looked down to unattach it and stared at the baby who was very small attempting to crawl and using her as a balance stick. She sighed, boys were so stupid. She lifted the little boy up and held him awkwardly in her hands. What were you supposed to do with babies?

She sighed as it started crying. Ty Lee would know how to calm it down but she...she had no idea what to do. Threaten it? She smirked. She knew it wouldn't work but she would do anything to make her mother angrier. She slowly removed on of her knives from her pocket. She stared as it immediately stopped crying. She hadn't been serious about threatening it, but it seemed to work. Did her mother really threaten Tahm-Tahm to make him shut up? She laughed in relief as it attempted to snatch it out of her hand. Thank God, it was a stupid baby wanting the sharp dangerous weapon and not her Mother threatening it. Then again, from the way her Mother fawned over it, she couldn't imagine her hurting it or pretending to hurt it in anyway. Mai sighed as it started crying again as she put it away. On the baby's head it was. She gave the knife to the baby.

"Be careful, that's one of a kind."

Of course the baby didn't listen and started sucking it. Typical. She took it from the baby. It was about to cry when she sighed and covered it's mouth. She was starting to get fed up with it. Suddenly it looked at her. Just looked, like it was reading her soul. It looked so much like Zuko in that moment, she smiled and the baby cooed and giggled. She immediately stopped smiling. She didn't want the baby happy. But it kept gurgling and laughing at her. She almost scowled, but it was so endearing. As it fell asleep, she smoothed the tiny patch of hair growing from its head. And as Mai stared at the sleeping baby, she realized what she was going to do. She hated it with all of her mind but her heart had decided. She couldn't let the baby get corrupted by Mother. It deserved to be good, sweet and innocent like Ty Lee. She closed her eyes and a single teardrop fell from the lashes.

(X)

"I'm staying Zuko."

Zuko seemed to beam. Did he not like her? Then why would we give her the bracelet? "That's great! How long? A week, a month? I'll stay with you, I'll send a hawk to Az and then she can come when she's done in the Earth Kingdom—"

Not hate then, just misinterpretation.

"I mean forever. Or at least till I've trained Tahm-Tahm enough. He won't survive in this world without a part of him dying. A part of me never existed due to Mother and Koh. I can't let that happen to Tahm-Tahm."

Zuko's face was hidden in a mask of serenity. But as she looked in his eyes, she saw just how much pain and hurt there was.

"I understand. If it was Azula, I would do the same." He smiled sadly and walked back inside.

Mai sighed and looked up at the sun setting.

"I hate the colour orange." She muttered before walking inside.

She stopped dead still when her Father came up and gave her a hug. "Happy late birthday! A week, isn't it?" She nodded curtly. He handed her a box. She smiled faintly. She couldn't believe he had remembered. He had never remembered before! She opened the box and her smile fell off her face as fast as it had come on. It was a bunch of bright pink ribbons and hair accessories that would look gaudy on Ty Lee.

"Aren't they great, Mai? I got them especially for you, you lok so gloomy! Cheer up a little!" Her father attempted.

She fake smiled and walked out into the garden. Why was she staying here? Why did Tahm-Tahm have to be so very cute? She breathed in and breathed out very slowly and softly as to stop the telltale tears bursting through. But even she couldn't stop a tear coming through. Weakness. She could barely tell the passing of day to night as she breathed in and out. The cold no longer bothered her and she was at peace with herself. That was, until; she heard familiar breathing patterns getting louder and closer.

"You're late for dinner. Coming with me?" Zuko asked softly.

"Not hungry." She muttered, not looking at him.

She could feel him sit down next to her. "I know why you have to do this. I know I'd do the same for Azula. Don't punish yourself like this Mai."

Mai looked up at Zuko and looked away almost immediately. "I'm not punishing myself for anything Zuko, I'm meditating, and I really am not hungry. Just...let me be, just for a little while, I need to think."

"You've been thinking all afternoon. Please Mai. Forgive me."

She wheeled round and looked straight at him. "Forgive you? But you haven't done anything wrong. I have. I chose my horrid family over the best friends in the world... Oh Spirits. Azula won't be happy at all."

Zuko paused. "No she won't. She'll see it as betrayal. First Ty Lee, now you...she won't like it at all. But I'll never abandon her. Never. I'll always be there for her if she needs me...Just like you're going to be there for Tahm-Tahm. Don't beat yourself up about it, family comes first. No matter how painful it is. I know Mai. I know very well why you need to do this. Please, be my Mai for these last few days. I don't want to remember you as a grumpy old lady, do I?"

She smiled and leant into his side before jumping up again and punching him. "For the record, I am not old. I am perfectly youthful and 13 years old!"

Zuko smirked as he pulled her close to him. "Doesn't stop you from having wrinkles when you yell at me."

She rolled her eyes and snuggled with Zuko.

(X)

"I wonder what's taking our daughter and her guest so long?" asked Mai's Father.

"Why do you worry, Tao Xu? She abandoned us for her status." said Mai's Mother, feeding Tahm-Tahm.

"And now's she back. Why do you hate her so much, Rhia? She's our daughter!"

Rhia scowled. "She's more your daughter than mine. She never was mine. In fact, she robbed me. I'll never be an Azuli assassin. Yours and her fault."

Tao Xu sighed; he and Rhia had had this conversation more times than he count. "Well, why do you love Tahm-Tahm?"

Rhia smirked. "He's a boy. He disinherits Mai. And, I chose to have him and he's perfect!"

Tao Xu sighed, he hated when she got broody. "I'll get Mai from the garden, shall I?"

She didn't respond and he took that as a yes.

Tao Xu walked out into the gardens. He looked up and down and then remembered a small stone bench hidden in the corner. He was about to enter when he heard kissing noises. He quickly peeked through a bush and almost fell over backwards at Mai kissing the boy! Well, she had introduced him as her boyfriend...But it was still wrong!

"I love you Zuko." She murmured. Tao Xu almost fell over backwards. He was having the Crown Prince Zuko in his house! Mai was dating the Crown Prince Zuko! And he almost fainted when Mai's sleeve hitched up as she stroked his hair. She was wearing a truly beautiful sweetheart's bracelet. He started hyperventilating and looked away. Did he not know Mai at all? The Mai he thought he knew was quiet, responsible and perky. The sullen girl he had seen was not his Mai. Did his Mai ever exist? Was Rhia right, was she...bad? Was his daughter bad?

"I love you too Mai. I hope that Agni deigns for us to rejoin again someday, when Tahm-Tahm's all grown up. I'll miss you." The Crown Prince Zuko said, sadly.

Tao Xu smiled. She had chosen them. Maybe his Mai was hiding underneath the surface. Maybe the time she'd spend with them would bring the Mai he thought he'd known back. If she'd ever existed.

(X)

Mai watched the carriage disappear into the distance quietly. She wouldn't cry, weakness was bad, especially when Koh had said he would be watching. At least it would be easier to be impassive without Zuko, Azula and their impulsive lifestyle. Mai paused before laughing bitterly. Trying to fool herself into thinking she was going to be fine wouldn't work. She knew it wouldn't and no matter of convincing could change your instincts.

**AN: Okay, forgive me, this chapter is all angsting and fluff and filler. I hated writing this chapter, especially near the end but the part about Koh had to be said. And yes, Mai's mother is very much out of canon. I know. That's why this is an AU. Hopefully I stuck to the rest of it though, I think my portrayal of Mai is somewhat accurate (hopefully, maybe?)**


	4. Discovery

**Lightning Can Be Warm**

**Chapter 4**

Zuko ducked under the giant roll of blue flame. Azula mouthed a sorry from where she was punching and Zuko sent several little blasts at her, aiming carefully to just miss her. For the first time in three years, Ozai had broken the routine of teaching new movements and working together as a team to pitting them against each other. This new way of teaching was after Zuko had recreated Azula's lightning one practice session and brought down the roof of the Royal Meeting Place. Zuko moved as fast as he could to the side to avoid the sweeping motion of the fire whips that was one of Azula's best movements. Almost like water-bending in Zuko's opinion.

He stepped backwards, allowing himself more room to send strip of crackly fire, almost lightning right in her direction. She saw it coming and rolled across the room and sent one carefully aimed shot right at his chest. He ducked to the right to avoid it and swept up as much fire as possible and sent it in Azula's direction. She dodged and bumped straight into him running to the side. The two of them tussled a little bit, faking as much as they could before Zuko made a sweeping movement and stepped back a few paces. The fire-bending was back. Azula quickly ran to the other side of him and elbowed him in the groin, knocking him to the floor. She placed two fingers of his Adam's apple and breathed happily.

"Touche," Zuko breathed shallowly and they moved to get up when Ozai said two words that changed Zuko's life forever.

"Finish him." The two of them looked at him with shock.

"K-K-K-Kill him?" Azula stuttered, for once, lost for words.

"Yes." Ozai said smoothly. "Or should I do it for you?"

"Do it Azula." whispered Zuko, he did not want to be taken down by Ozai of all people.

Azula looked at him oddly before shaking her head and fire a quick blast...aimed at his face. He slumped into the floor and the last thing he was aware of was a yell of outrage from Ozai.

(X)

Zuko woke up peacefully and moved just a little to make as if to get out of the bed. He winced as pain shot through him.

"Oh my freaking head." he murmured darkly.

"Zuko?" he heard Azula's voice, in much louder tones than usual and winced at the pain it caused to his rather sensitive ear.

"Oh my freaking ears." He said.

"Too loud?" she asked gently.

"Oh my freaking eyes." He said looking up at her.

"Too bright?" she asked concernedly.

"No, I looked at your face." He joked.

She rolled her eyes and hugged him gingerly.

"For a moment there, I actually thought you were hurt." She said, looking at him with relief.

"Well, my vision seems a little more limited. My voice sounds like I had a bad case of Dragon Pox. And my face is rather itchy, considering the fact I can't feel most of it at all! Of course, I'm peachy!" Zuko said sarcastically.

"Well, forgive me!" she said sarcastically, her mouth upturned in a sneer. "I was hoping you would be fine, that my fire-blast which you stupidly told me to do wouldn't have hurt you too much, you've always wanted me to think unrealistically, the one time I do, you hate me? Thanks a lot, Crown Prince Zuko, I'm going." She clicked her fingers in front of his face before walking out the room regally.

Zuko sighed. He hadn't meant it to insult her, but then again, he hadn't been meaning to insult her for the past year, and she didn't seem to understand then. Hormones. He sighed and settled back into bed, clenching his fists, so as not to scratch the side of his face that had been blasted. Somehow, he had a feeling that if he did, it would be very bad.

(X)

Zuko looked out into the pavilion. It was empty. Pitch Black too, considering it _was _the middle of the night. Looking left and right stiffly, Zuko crept in. He looked behind him a lot of times, keeping his senses alert. He was sure nothing would get past him. Sure as he could be. He crossed the pavilion without event. Sighly quietly in relief looking behind, he walked forward. He bounced off something big.

"Going somewhere?" asked a gravelly voice.

He screamed girlishly and reacted immediately. Soon, there a knife to the neck of his ambusher. Then he actually looked. And pulled the knife that his ambusher had purchased for him, down.

"Uncle Iroh, you scared me half into the Spirit World! What are you doing out here?"

Iroh laughed. "I could ask you the same thing, Prince Zuko! Are you not meant to stay in bed for another two weeks?"

Zuko sighed; he had known this little detail would pop up.

"I'm not going back there for another two weeks! I can actually move and do things; I just find things a little difficult to see. Obviously I can't start fire-bending and going completely back to normal again, but I'm hardly invalid. Though, they have said my voice will never be the same again, which is a shame—Uncle!"

Iroh was silently laughing by the end of Zuko's little speech. "Oh Zuko, you do make me laugh. Go back to bed. I will talk to the healers, I am sure they will work something out. They aren't jailers or bullies. It isn't going to get worse if I tell them..."

(X)

"Four weeks in bed now Crown Prince Zuko." said the healer, who was smirking as she laid out his medicines across the table next to his bed.

"WHAT!" he yelled, jumping out of bed angrily. "Uncle...Jailers...Healers...Jinxes. Curse the spirits!"

He mumbled incoherently for a few minutes before deciding.

"Healer, get Princess Azula for me. Or send a page boy if you have other prisoners—"

"Patients." She warned.

"-Patients to attend to."

"That'll be another day added onto your stay!" she trilled.

Zuko sighed. 'If it brings her here..."

(X)

"So, I see you came crawling back on your knees to apolo—" Azula drawled with a self satisfied smirk on her face.

"Technically, _you_ came back to m—"

"Chup!" she snapped, her finger going up to her lips. "I'm trying to scold you here! Now where was I...?"

Zuko was struggling not to laugh as she started again. 'Now, you must be so pathetic. How do you feel to be out of fav— Stop laughing!" she yelled as she burst out laughing, slapping his thighs, unable to control it anymore. Azula's eyes crinkled too and soon she was chuckling too.

"Come here!" She hugged and he made to hug her back—

"NO!" came a cry. Zuko and Azula both turned to look at the obnoxious Healer who had been in his room previously.

"No moving Crrrown Prrrince Zzzzuko." She said, rolling the r's. "She may hug you, but you may not hug back! Or I'll add another week on."

Zuko shrugged and went back to what he was doing.

" Right, that's one week added on!" she snapped from the corner. Azula's mask was cracking but she stayed straight-faced. Zuko didn't bother and pinched his brow, tiredly.

"Right, I'm reporting the Warden on you! Three weeks extra!"

"Well Azula, how goes things in the land of life outside of this hellhole prison cel—I mean outside this paradise in a 2 metres square room?" he amended after a stern look from the Healer who tapped the calendar menacingly.

"Pretty good. Father is still annoyed at me and you for disobeying his orders so he's ignoring you and disregarding me"

Zuko looked at Azula in a confused manner. 'While I would consider that good news, you never would. What's going on?"

" Father's been giving a lot of private meetings with War Generals. If I don't have pesk—enjoyable fire-bending and History/Tactics lessons, it means I am free to sp—play games in the sunshine." Azula quickly corrected remembering the Healer standing in the corner.

"Oh, come here Azula, my favourite sister—"

"And _only_ sister."

"My_ favourite_ sister had learnt how to be normal!" Zuko finished, despite the interruption and pulled her into a hug.

The healer in the corner seemed to have had enough. "You have had 10 weeks and 4 days added onto your sentanc—stay so you will be staying here a grand total of 14 weeks and 5 days!"

Zuko eyes widened.

"NO! AGNI, PLEASE, DON'T DO THIS! Please Agni, I'll do anything!" he yelled throwing his hands in the air. The healer and Azula sighed at his theatrics.

"I'll clean my room, I won't complain about the bad quality of food, I'll do _Azula's_ chores! Hell, I'd even call the Fire Lord, Dad! Anything! Well, I would call him Father...I would die if I had to call him Dad..." he explained sheepishly. Azula giggled.

"OH AGNI, GOD OF GODS—"

"Technically, he's not a God, he's a spirit." interjected Azula. He glared at her.

"It doesn't have the same ring!" he whined but carried on nevertheless. "OH AGNI, SPIRIT OF SPIRITS, see, HEAR MY PLEA AND ANSWER IF YOU CARE FOR US POOR FIRE-BENDERS AT ALL! I'll have sunshine deprivation! I'll die from lack of movement! Don't do this to me..."

This last plea was directed at the Healer in the corner.

"For that, I'll add on another week. Now, shoo! I have medicines to administer!"

(X)

Sokka lazily paddled the canoe up the icy river, listening to Katara rant about him overworking the little children of the village. Sure they hated him, but the training to be vigilant and to keep fighting no matter what the odds would come in handy sometime. They weren't at war for nothing.

"And you can't even say anything back! Those poor kids get cold and you know that they could never be warriors at their age, they're 6 to 7 years old, you can't expect them to fight—"

"Katara, just shut up, okay?" said Sokka covering her mouth quickly. Over the years, Katara had become more mature, more like Mom, less like Gran-Gran. Of course, there were times like this when he saw her volatile side break through.

She looked at him angrily and he smiled.

"You'll scare the fish away. Now, here's how to properly catch fish, without your magic mumbo-jumbo."

He aimed carefully at the small fish fluttering away at the side of the boat and he tried to hit it with the spear and missed. It darted away to Katara's side of the boat where she caught it in a bubble of water and the bubble hovered in mid-air.

"Ta-da! Proper fishing is for suckers who don't want dinner. Come on, I'll get us a few more and we can head home." She dropped the bubble lazily and the water splashed into Sokka's face.

"Why is it that when you play with magic water, I always get soaked and slapped?" asked Sokka wiping away the coating of water on his face and the fish off his nose.

"It's not magic, it's waterbending—"

"And it's important to culture, the reason we survived in these arctic places, yada yada... It's magic water, okay? The rest of us survive fine, you just have to add on the weirdness. Well, just stop, okay?" Sokka sniped searching the water intently for another fish.

"You're calling me weird? Who spends all his time preening and fluffing up your hair when you aren't completely concentrating?" Sokka froze in his current position of glorifying his hair.

"Well, at least I don't—Shoot!" he yelled as the boat drifted into a current and started speeding quickly into ice-filled area of water.

"AAAAHHHHH!" They both yelled as they spun and swirled along the river. Sokka fought with the canoe attempting to wrest back control but failing miserably.

"Left, left!" screeched Katara as they only just missed an iceberg, a few centimeters from the side of the boat.

They careered haphazardly between large chunks of ice when Katara spotted three icebergs about to collide around their boat. Sokka screamed girlishly, grabbed Katara's arm and pulled them onto one of the icebergs, still holding the fish. They watched the last pieces of the wooden canoe sink and Katara turned towards Sokka.

"How was that, left?" she asked angrily.

"Well, you were no help either, Miss Magic Water! What happened to your cultural powers now? At least I was doing something!" he retorted.

"Oh, so it's my fault now?" she said coldly.

"I never said that, just that you could have been a little more help—" said Sokka anxiously realizing Katara was about to blow, but it was too late.

"MORE HELP? How could I do more than I've already been doing! Ever since Mom died and Dad left, I've been doing everything around here, cooking, cleaning, washing! I'm sick of you taking me for granted!" she screamed hoarsely and the icebergs around started to shake and the water started boiling.

"I know that you do everything, and it's doing everything that's making you so stressed now! Calm down, and we can head back to the village and set up a rota of things, I'll help with some stuff and you can chill—"

"CALM DOWN? YOU ARE A SEXIST, IMMATURE PRIG AND YOU CAN'T EVEN LIFT A FINGER TO HELP ME AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?" she yelled.

The entire area shook and the iceberg next to them split open, sending a surge of energy through the water, knocking Katara and Sokka to the floor.

"Yes! So you wouldn't have done that." said Sokka quietly. "It hasn't been easy this side of the family either. Training the children up so they won't get themselves killed if one of the nearby Fire Nation patrols decides they want to pick on a helpless little village. So they know what to do if we disappear like Dad and the rest of the men and they grow up all alone. I've been trying so they can survive. And I know I haven't done as much as you or suffered as much as you, but I'm not completely immature either. Come on; let's go see what you did with your mumbo-jumbo freaky stuff." He said holding a hand out to her. She accepted it quietly and the walked over to the side of the iceberg.

Just as they walked over to it, it turned around slowly and Katara spotted a boy with glowing arrow tattoos in the ice.

"He's still alive, we have to do something!" she said pleadingly. When Sokka didn't budge, she grabbed his machete and dived straight at the boy in the iceberg. The large club hit the hard ice and cracked under the willpower of Katara, sending a beam of light into the air, high up towards the clouds. While Sokka and Katara made contact, a few miles away at a nearby Fire Nation patrol, a hawk containing the message of the new headed towards the Fire Nation.

(X)

"P-p-p-prince Z-z-z-zuko?"

Zuko woke up with a start. There was little girl, about eight years old standing at the end of the bed. She wore the robes of a messenger and was blushing bright red.

"First day on the job?" he asked, sympathetically, they always got scared when it was. She shook her head and embarrassedly pointed and Zuko realized flushing that he was almost all naked. He pulled the duvet up around him and smiled sheepishly.

"Carry on, please."

"The Princess Azula wishes for you to be ready at noon for the Fire Lord requested an important meeting with her and she's bringing you along whether you like it or not." The little girl quickly ran out of the room blushing.

Zuko swore angrily. It was going to be noon in 15 minutes. That was so like Azula. He started jumping around the room, attempting to locate the pieces of his formal clothing. It had been six weeks since Azula had burned him and Zuko had spent his time staring up at a wall or insulting the obnoxious Healer. He pulled on a red jerkin and black trousers before looking out his room and spotting another messenger.

"Excuse me?" he called. She quickly walked over too him.

"Yes, sir?" she asked, head bowed.

"No need for _that_ nonsense. Could you go to my room and get my comb, my dao blades, my armour, my crown...oh, and a mirror, I must look dreadful!"

She looked up and her eyes widened but she bowed again and scurried off.

Zuko quickly got back into his room and started neatening out the creases in his jerkin and pants. He quickly hurried to the door when the messenger girl knocked.

"I also got you some more hair accessories and some cream, Prince Zuko; I think you may need it." She said hurriedly as she handed him the items he had requested.

"Thanks so much!" he said in relief before running into his room.

He looked at himself in the mirror and stared at the red scar marring his eye. The eye was now permanently etched in a narrowed position, like he was angry all the time. He rubbed it absent-mindedly and winced at the pain. Which startled him into remembering the time and he quickly hurried to put on his armour as fast as he could. His hair had grown longer and more unruly, he noted as he tied it back into a typical ponytail and he quickly grabbed a dao blade from the corner and shaved off the beginnings of a beard. He wasn't yet a man in the eyes of the Fire Nation, and he wouldn't pretend to be one.

He just finished placing his crown in his hair when Azula burst into his room.

"You call that ready?" she asked, looking immaculate, as usual.

"When you give me a 15 minute notice, I'm hardly going to look like I've had a day at the spa!"

She shrugged her shoulders. 'I told her to send the notice at dawn this morning. I guess even palace messengers can get late sometimes."

Zuko rolled his eyes and smirked at her.

"I'm sure they do."

Her innocent expression diminished just a little, but enough for Zuko to notice.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You look creepy when you smirk. You look …evil! If that's even possible! Your eye slit narrows and makes you look 10 times older. It's genuinely and utterly—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Let's go. We wouldn't want to keep Ozai waiting, would we?" said Zuko, offering Azula a comradely arm. She stiffened, took the arm and they quickly walked along the corridor towards the Royal Meeting Place. The guards saluted casually when the two came by. Zuko scowled; obviously the rumour mill had been circulating while he had been trapped to his bed.

"Good morning gentleman. How are you today?" asked Zuko coldly. They stared at him, obviously unnerved before saluting stiffly.

He inclined his head forwards through the door and Azula smiled. He never failed to impress.

He smiled back and they walked into the chamber together.

"Father, I have arrived." Announced Azula, more cold than usual.

"And of course, I have followed, Fire Lord, sir. I assume you didn't summon me as you didn't know I was well. But I am better and your loyal son awaits his orders." said Zuko smoothly, walking in his head bowed slightly. He had picked up some courtly manners in his life.

"Aah, Azula. Zuko. I am glad you are both here. The matter I have called you about is of the utmost urgency. This morning a messenger hawk arrived from the Southern Outpost. It included detail of the brightest light and biggest disturbance they have had at the South Pole since the last raid 60 years ago with the water-benders. We believe that the water-benders are active again. This is very bad so I am sending you two down to the South Pole to stop anything that may be occurring. As we speak, Iroh is preparing a speed boat with a course set for the area. I want to you to join him and call any allies you may need for this task."

Azula smirked at Zuko from where they were standing, with their heads bowed. Time for a friendly reunion.

(X)

"Mai? Mai!" called Zuko as he urgently hurried into the large manor house at the Glowing Embers. The servants looked appalled at his entry into the house, but her country needed her.

"Zuko?" she asked, looking surprised, heading in from the garden with Tahm-Tahm cradled in them.

"I know you need to protect your brother, but there's a situation down at the South Pole. We believe the water-benders are back as there was a huge disturbance yesterday. No time for catch up, grab your weapons, we have to catch a boat to Whale-Tail Island as fast as we can after this."

Mai sighed.

"I thought I'd left this life behind me." She said as she ran hurriedly to her room, grabbing her knives from where she had neatly stashed them.

"Well you haven't, we need an assassin's outlook on this project." said Zuko, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the dock, the two of them sprinting through the town.

(X)

"Here we are!" said Azula as happy as could be to rejoin her band of friends from long ago.

"Well hurry up then Az, we have a deadline to find and get her on board." said Zuko worriedly.

"Cheer up nephew! Whale-Tail Island's attractions are far and many and we should take the time to enj—" Iroh was cut off by Zuko grabbing Mai and sprinting off-deck as fast as he could.

"No head for culture." Iroh sighed. Azula shrugged behind him and sprinted after him.

"Finally, I caught up with you…" panted Azula as Zuko and Mai slowed down near the edges of the dock where the land steeped upwards.

"Any idea where she is?" asked Zuko after a while of panting and attempting to slow his breathing rate.

"The Pink and Orange striped tent-top up there might give me an idea…." stated Mai, pointing up at the large tent above them a few metres. Zuko sighed and they started sprinting through the trees.

"Hello Ty Lee!" Azula drawled as smoothly as she could with her erratic breathing rate. Ty Lee herself was balanced one hand and stretched out in a curvy pose. She rolled over and threw her hands around them. "Guys! Did you come to watch my show? You're the best buddies in the world!"

Zuko scratched his head, looking guilty. She sighed.

"You didn't come to see my show, did you?" They all shook their heads. "It's some big crisis, isn't it? The Air Nomads are back?"

"No, but you're pretty close. The water-benders are making their move." said Mai flatly. "If I gave up my corruptible baby brother to run around the world, you can give up your extra bit of attention here."

Ty Lee sighed. "I know. It's just my aura has never been pinker. And I really would have liked a choice in the matter. But that doesn't affect this moment! We're all back together! The best group in the world!" She crowed.

"Yeah, I guess we are." said Azula happily and threw her arms around her best friends' throat.

(X)

"So brief us in, General Iroh." said Mai, slouching against the wall of the navigator's room. Ty Lee was quietly steering the boat and Iroh was playing Pai Sho against Azula and Zuko, who were dressed in full body armour.

"Well," he said, lifting the White Lotus tile from the middle of the board and playing it towards Zuko's area, "There have been reports of a stirring at the Southern Water Tribe. There has been wide-spread action from them recently and a huge white light; the brightest they've seen since Sozin's Comet's standards has been seen from very close to their village. Thus we deduce, they're water-benders are striking back. I personally think its just practise, but the Fire Lord decrees we go and see what is going on and crush any vestiges of rebellion."

"You know Uncle," said Azula craftily lifting another tile and placing it dangerously close to Iroh's side, "That sounds rather like you don't agree with Father's orders. It sounds perfectly justifiable through his ears. If there's trouble, you crush it before it can start."

"Is that what he did to Zuko then?" asked Mai suddenly. "He crushed any vestiges of betrayal by BURNING HIS FACE?"

Azula looked sad. "Actually, I had to do that. He ordered us to fight and I beat him. He ordered me to kill him and was going to do it himself if I didn't so I shot his face where you couldn't be sure if they die or not, rather than somewhere more painful such as his heart or his brain."

Mai looked Azula. "Your logic is beyond me. Shouldn't you have defied?"

This time Zuko objected as he played a devastating move to the other two. "If she opposed, she got murdered. A least I had a fighting chance. Anyway, I prefer being burnt to be being toast. And Uncle, I beat you. And you Azula."

Azula cursed angrily and Iroh smiled.

"I see you have picked up your Mother's talent for the game Zuko. Well done."

Zuko beamed and they all stood up, draining the last bits of tea from their cups. Just then, a large red Fire Flare shot into the air and burst loudly.

"Set a course for that flare, Ty Lee!" shouted Azula while Zuko grabbed a telescope and tracked the flare to the cold South Pole. There was a large abandoned Fire Nation ship wedged in ice quite close to where they were travelling. That was where the flare was from and Zuko could spot two people leaping down from the ship, with surprising versatility…air-benders. And since the other air-benders were dead...

"Guys, we have a problem. The disturbance wasn't water-benders. It was the Avatar." Zuko solemnly toned. Everybody looked shocked before bursting into action as quickly as possible. Zuko looked towards the little Southern Water Tribe. The poor villagers probably didn't deserve what was coming, but the 100 year old Avatar did.

(X)

Sokka stared at the disappearing back of the air-bender. While now, he knew that the little guy wasn't a spy for the Fire Nation, it didn't mean that he wasn't a bad influence. Katara had loosened up loads, and he had given her hope….but he was bad news. Sokka felt something land on his nose. It was snowing. Again. But he stopped in horror as he looked around him. The snow was black in colour. Soot. The Fire Nation was coming.

(X)

Zuko placed his helmet on with a bit of dread clear on his face. He knew the village had no proper adults so to speak. He had heard of the efforts of the men of the Southern Water Tribe, helping the Earth Kingdom Resistance. Everybody had. Their exploits in helping Omashu survive were pretty legendary. But that made it all the worse that he had to battle old people and little children, because of course, Azula and Ty Lee would battle the Avatar. He looked across at Azula who looked out to the barren icy wastelands.

"It's seems funny, that we've come all this way to fight water-benders and we face the Avatar. Do think we'll capture him?" she asked.

"Who knows? I personally doubt that we'll win. He has avoided us for 100 years." said Zuko doubtfully.

"Which only makes it easier to get him, milord." said Lieutenant Jee, the leader of the ship.

"You underestimate the skills of the Avatar. He won't fight like one man. He'll fight like 10 men because the power of all the previous Avatars will flow through his veins. Each new Avatar gets stronger as they go along." said Mai nonchalantly, sharpening her knife. Jee blanched.

"Well, we shouldn't give up hope. Perhaps we will capture the Avatar and take him back to the Fire Nation. He'd be an antique. The last air-bender in the entire world!" said Ty Lee excitedly.

"You hope too much, Lady Ty Lee, if we capture him, he won't be an air-bender anymore. They are only air-benders when they are free." said Iroh gravely. Zuko looked out into the distance; the talking wasn't helping his anxiety.

(X)

Sokka silently applied the face-paint of countless Spirit Warriors in Water Tribe history. He strapped his machete and his modified boomerangs to his back and held his spear proudly. Then he dropped it again to tie up his boots and pulled on his fingerless gloves. Then he grabbed his spear and walked outside the tent.

"Now men, listen up. I have trained as best as I possibly can but I doubt it will be enough. If Katara and I are captured, I want you to look after your mothers and the old people, okay?" The small line of boys nodded, sadly. Sokka gestured to the houses and the little boys ran to their parents. Sokka sighed. Katara was right again, they weren't cut out to be soldiers.

He joined Katara at the fires which she was dousing quickly with her water-bending.

"Katara, if anything happens to when I'm fighting the Fire Nation, use your magic water to stop them and run as far away as you can with the rest of the village."

She looked at him. "Nothing is going to happen, brother. You'll be fine. You're amazing like that. We hurt you and hurt you but you keep bouncing back, as jerk-like as usual."

"Hey!" he protested. She threw her arms around Sokka.

"You're a jerk for banishing Aang like that but you're my brother. Stay safe."

He nodded before running towards the wall and taking guard position.

Katara watched from where she was. The mist to the sea front side was heavy, blocking any view of the Fire Nation coming. If they were coming. Then she saw a large looming shape out of the shadows and to her horror, the Fire Nation ship was inches away from where he brother was. There was a large earth-rumbling shudder as it crashed into the wall and Katara struggled to find balance while all the time looking towards Sokka where he was crouching, staring intently at the ship.

It stopped just a few centimetres away from where Sokka was. He hadn't budged a little through the entire experience and only moved a little to the left to avoid the door coming downwards. There was a plume of billowing smoke as four figures walked down the plank to meet her brother. And he wouldn't be alone. Avoiding orders from Sokka, she ran towards him, her only intention to save him from the unknown danger he had gotten himself into.

(X)

Zuko coughed quietly as the smoke billowed on the door unloosening. He walked briskly down the steps where one teenage boy crouched. He almost completely blended in apart from his unnaturally blue eyes. He was around the same age as Zuko and very determined. Though, he doubted that the boy was as skilled as he. A girl dressed in blue ran towards him. She was the same age as Azula but definite not as skilled, he reasoned. Nobody was as skilled as Azula.

The boy stood his ground as they approached, standing up and catching the girl as she ran towards him. He pushed her to the ground behind him and she got up angrily but took the hint.

Zuko rolled his eyes as he charged forwards angrily. His balance was off and Zuko knew he would fall when Ty Lee tapped his right arm as he careered towards Zuko.

Zuko ignored the glaring girl and walked towards the small gathering of terrified villagers near the centre of the huts with Azula and Mai.

"Where is Avatar who has caused this entire disturbance?" asked Azula imperiously.

They looked defiant and terrified at the same time. A combination that would make them stand still through the confrontation.

"He'd be about this age, the master of all the elements?" said Azula smoothly taking an old woman in purple and holding her high.

"Leave Gran-Gran alone!" said the boy again, running awkwardly, with his right arm out of sync. Of course, Ty Lee had paralysed it. Azula of course took advantage of this relation and held a smooth blade of blue fire to the old grandmother's neck.

"Stop fruitlessly trying to hurt us, or your grandmother gets hurt. It's for your own good, I'm sure Ty Lee doesn't want to hurt such a pretty boy as you." Sokka swore angrily and threw his weapon down. Mai grabbed it quickly and the weapons strapped to his back. Azula then let go of the old lady who ran quickly back into the crush.

Sokka looked hopeless when one of the little boy's in the crowd threw him an oddly shaped weapon.

"Show no fear in the face of the enemy!" he screeched. Sokka breathed and threw it at Azula.

She dodged it easily and looked at him oddly. Sokka just smiled and Zuko fell to the ground almost comically as the boomerang crashed into the back of his head, bringing him to the ground. He rubbed his head angrily and bought himself up to see Sokka pinned down by several knives, Mai looking bored, slouching on an igloo.

"That was just pathetic Zuko. What was that?" asked Azula with a laugh.

Katara bought a swish of water over an annoyed Zuko who looked at her like a petulant child. He walked over to her, grabbed her wrists and handed her over to Ty Lee who paralysed her arm before gently pushing her towards the villagers.

"Now where is the Avatar?" asked Azula again.

Just then, a large penguin with Aang and his staff slid down from the left and slid with Azula's legs, bringing her down with an undignified crash into the snow.

"Looking for me?" he asked playfully.

Azula looked at him and grinned. "Oh, I'm really impressed. Another child prodigy. Air-bending master, at what, 10?"

"Actually, I'm 12!" he said cheerily.

"Alas, not my standard then. Only Zuko's standard. And that is pretty poor."

"I thought sisters are supposed to be supportive?" he asked, only vaguely affronted.

She shrugged. "Ty Lee, have fun."

Ty Lee jumped forward and tried to jab Aang in his pressure points, all of which he avoided rather bemusedly as she smiled charmingly at him with every attempt.

"Wow, you're good, most people are paralysed on the floor by now. I'm Ty Lee, what's your name?" she asked.

Aang beamed happily. "I'm Aang. Nice to meet you, Ty Lee. Your moves are pretty good too. Lets... up the ante a little!" he said narrowly avoiding a shot for his head and jumping up into the air, using an igloo wall as a cork-spring higher. She grinned and flipped backwards to face him and dodged a shot of air in her path. The two of them flipped and kicked in a similar manner, exchanging compliments as they went.

"I like that shot, Aang!"

"That cartwheel looked real nice, your legs very straight."

"I trained at the circus; they need you to be good. I say, this is rather like dancing, isn't it Aang?"

"STOP CONVERSING WITH THE ENEMY, TY LEE!" bellowed Azula.

Ty Lee shrugged. "It was a nice chat Aang, but I've got orders."

She launched into a sequence of fast jabs which was stopped by a facefull of snow and a cold wind which sent her flying into an igloo.

"Sorry, Ty Lee!" he called, with a wince; he knew that hurt a lot.

"Right, must I do everything myself?" asked Azula and she threw four fast shots of blue fire at Aang. He yelped and used his Air Scooter to escape.

Meanwhile, Sokka had managed to remove the knives and was randomly throwing them at Zuko, his aim pretty bad in his panic, often, the knives bouncing off Zuko's armour but also frequently hitting him with sharp stabs of pain.

Finally Zuko got angry and remembered a move from a long time ago and propelled fire from his core through his mouth, emulating a typical uncle move, unexpected and classy. Sokka dropped all the knives in his terror and all of the villagers screamed.

Aang on the other hand was getting creamed by Azula, only just missing the attacks she used. And the scream was the last straw. He threw down his staff and rolled towards Zuko.

"If I surrender, will you leave them all alone?" Aang asked.

Zuko paused. He looked at Azula; he really didn't want to fight anymore.

"Okay. But only if you swear on honour and existence as the Avatar, still a part of the Fire Nation enough to take a vow on Agni." Aang paused. This was big.

"I, on my honour and existence as Avatar, part of the Fire Nation swear on Agni, to go with the invaders of the South Pole peacefully to the Fire Nation if they do not harm any of the villagers of the Southern Water Tribe." He said, crossing his right hand on his heart. "Now you."

" I on my honour and existence as Crown Prince Zuko," "I on my honour and existence as Princess Azula," "I on my honour and existence as Lady Mai Konietziko," "I on my honour and existence as Lady Ty Lee Ontslaan" ",Solemnly swear to not harm any of the villagers of the Southern Water Tribe unless provoked or in self-defence if the Avatar surrenders peacefully to us."

Sokka got ready to get up and attack them again when Aang gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't. This vow is a once in a lifetime opportunity. They won't ever hurt you unless provoked or in self-defence. Don't risk losing the protection for the entire village. They're imperial fire-benders; they can annihilate this village in 10 seconds and will if they have to."

Katara started crying from where she was standing with Gran-Gran.

"Don't cry Katara, I'll be okay!" said Aang cheerfully as Ty Lee paralysed his chi and frogmarched his back onto the Fire Nation ship. But she didn't stop crying as they led him away, her last chance of hope, disappearing into the brig of a Fire Nation ship.

(X)

"So, you are here Avatar. After 100 years of hiding, the Fire Nation has caught you. And you are a child. Though adults may underestimate you, I won't." Azula circled around the chained up Aang in the middle of the hold, where she, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee and Uncle were 'interrogating' the Avatar. The Avatar himself was humming cheerily in his chains, driving Azula quite up the bend.

"Azula? That's why we shouldn't hand him in. He's a child stuck in the world of adults." said Zuko, looking worried. "I anticipated an old man, whose time was up and had been hiding for a long time. He's a child and the things they'll do to him...he isn't even a fully realised Avatar, Azula!"

Aang stopped humming and looked up quietly.

"What will they do to me?" he asked.

Mai looked at him, boredly. "You're an air-bender which means they'll restrict the air flow in your cell. You'll be constantly paralysed, trapped in chains and on the hour, every hour, they'll probably get Ty Lee to re-paralyse you. They'll think you know all four elements so they won't give you any water and make sure there's no humidity. You'll be put in a metal cell so you can't bend earth and they will presume you can't fire-bend yet so at least they won't remove the oxygen in your cell but your hands will probably be encased in lots of metal and wood."

Aang gasped quietly and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Ty Lee's lip wobbled and even Azula looked a little unsure.

"That's not what should happen to a kid, Azula. Anyway, Ozai was wrong to send us. Most trusted fire-benders indeed. We'll show him..."

Azula smirked, back on familiar territory. "This isn't about the Avatar, is it? It's about defying Father."

"So what if it is? The point is still the same. He'll suffer too much. They don't ask to be Avatars!" said Zuko.

"Why don't we ask the boy himself? Avatar? What do you say?" said Iroh from where he was calmly supping tea in the corner.

"Please, call me Aang. And, I don't want to be stuck in a cell. I never wanted to be Avatar, all I wanted to do was fly and make friends. I didn't even know there was a war until this morning when Katara explained it to me inside the Fire Nation ship. Just last month, I was playing with my best friend Kuzon from the Fire Nation and now..." Aang shrugged.

This was too much for Ty Lee who burst into tears. "It's so sad! We have to give him a chance, let him free! Please Azula!"

"He could be tricking you. But I don't think so, I'm a people person, and he's telling the truth. Avata—Aang, now that you know there's a war going on, what are your intentions?" said Azula.

Aang looked thoughtful "I haven't really done that much thinking about it. I guess I'd learn the four elements and stop the Fire Lord. But I wouldn't want to hurt innocent people, only bad people." He said.

"What's your definition of bad people? Are we bad people in your eyes?" asked Zuko, curiously.

"No. You aren't bad people. Misunderstood people, People on the wrong path, but not morally bad. Everyone can be good, they just need persuasion. That's what the monks taught me. Killing is bad. That's why I'm a vegetarian and a pacifist. There is always a peaceful solution."

There was a thwacking noise and everyone turned to look at Mai whose head was in her hands and was sliding to the floor. "Great. Just great. We have a hippy, peace-loving Avatar! How are you going to kill Ozai; by hugging him?"

Aang looked affronted. "No. I'd just stop him and throw him in prison."

Azula slid to the floor. "And if he breaks out, genius? His supporters would overthrow whoever is on the throne and reinstate Father. The way to get rid of him, is killing him and handing the Fire Nation throne to the next in line, that's Uncle." She indicated to where he rocked on the chair calmly, drinking more tea.

"Well, that's what I'd have you for. You'd do the big plans. You all look like you know what you're doing. I'd just be the finishing blow. Once I learned how to be." Aang said, looking rather like it was obvious. "Help me. Help me be the Avatar. Because I don't know how to be and what people want me to be."

Everybody glanced at each other. Nobody was quite sure what they were supposed to do. It was all well talking to the Avatar about overthrowing the Fire Lord, but actually doing it...

"You want us to betray our country, our people?" asked Azula. Aang nodded then shook his head. Zuko sighed despondently.

"Let me tell you a story, about what happened 100 years ago. Fire Lord Sozin, after Avatar Roku, the last Avatar died made a speech to the people of the Fire Nation. He spoke of dreams he had had, of the Fire Nation spreading its wealth and glory to the rest of the world. And the people, though in their hearts and minds knew this wouldn't be able to happen, wanted it to be true, so they cheered and supported him. He asked for innocent favours, a little more tax, giving a portion of the foods they got every year to the palace, things like that and then, he struck a blow on the day of the comet to the rest of the world. He destroyed the Air Nomads and invaded the Earth Kingdom and broke the spirit of the Water Tribes in 4 days. It seemed alright at first, World Domination, but it became colder and harsher and crueller. The War overtook everything and it wasn't as great as it seemed. People protested, but they mysteriously vanished. And by starting the War, Sozin crushed the backbone of the Fire Nation. They became weak and gave in to the authorities because though they knew it was wrong, they wanted to stay alive. You ask us to abandon them, when we are the people that are strong enough to stand against the Fire Lord?"

Aang looked torn. "If you join me, you won't be abandoning them. You'll be joining forces, and we'll be stronger together!"

"But they'll believe we are betraying them..." said Ty Lee looking very slightly worried. "Aang, I would love to drop everything and fly around the world with you, but we have a responsibility."

Iroh looked on from the corner. He saw the opportunity, the spirits didn't need to give him sight to see what was in front of him. His nephew and niece had to join the Avatar. But there was no way they were going to abandon the responsibility they believed they had. Iroh set his mind a-pondering, as fast as it could, before the opportunity vanished.

**AN: Yeah, I'm finishing that there. I'll probably write a bit later but I did this chapter feeling very ill and I think if I keep writing, Aang will probably end up dying because of how grumpy and ill I feel. Anybody see anything Iroh can do? Contact me by a PM. If anyone is actually reading this, of course.**


	5. Treachery is in the eye of the Beholder

**Lightning Can Be Warm**

**Chapter 5**

**AN: Wow, I got a huge response in this chapter! Thanks for the support everyone! Sorry I can't respond to everyone individually because almost all of you don't have a fanfic account and all the review responses would take longer than the actual story! This chapter has to be dedicated to Azure Fire Flower who really helped me start writing this again with her lovely review. Thanks a lot, you made my day! I also dedicate this to The Jabberwock of Oz and Righteousham. I will be making some changes to the minute details when I get time between exams and art.**

**WARNING: Swearing involved. (If anyone knows more appropriate Japanese or Chinese equivalents, I would be pleased to hear them... kind of)**

_Iroh looked on from the corner. He saw the __opportunity; the spirits didn't need to give him sight to see what was in front of him. His nephew and niece had to join the Avatar. But there was no way they were going to abandon the responsibility they believed they had. Iroh set his mind a-pondering, as fast as it could, before the opportunity vanished._

Iroh frowned as the Avatar deflated, before he remembered an old book he'd read when he was young, foolish and in love with the wrong person. The book's plot was the idea that Iroh had now to stop Azula and Zuko going onto the wrong path.  
"What if the people of the Fire Nation did not think you were betraying them?" Iroh asked them. The dumbfounded looks were all the response he needed.  
"How would that work, Uncle?" asked Azula, peculiarly stiff.  
"If the Avatar escaped the ship somehow in a way that could be blamed on the soldiers, you could abandon the ship and witnesses and pretend to be chasing the Avatar around the country when in fact you'd be helping them. You could even travel with them until you come to big towns or cities." said Iroh, looking at the dumbfounded expressions on their faces.  
"I can see why you were the Dragon of the West now..." murmured Azula, quietly.

Mai suddenly cut in then. "You said they. It's only the Avatar. He's alone. What aren't you telling us, General Iroh?"  
Iroh cursed inwardly at his stupidity. Of course, they didn't have future sight, they wouldn't know about the Water Tribe. To his enormous relief, a soldier, just then came in looking sheepish.

"Fool! We told not to disturb our interrogation of the Avatar unless it was something important!" said Azula looking rather angry.  
"It is, milady. There is a white speck in the distance with two blue dots on top of it flying this way at a high speed. We thought you should know this." He said looking the floor, petrified.  
'That's Katara, Sokka and Appa! I knew they'd come for me!" said Aang.  
Zuko purpled convincingly. "Get out!" he yelled and the soldier ran out. As soon as the door slammed shut, he burst out into peals of laughter.

"Talk about Deux Es Machina." He coughed out.  
Azula on the other hand looked at Iroh shrewdly. "I see, Uncle Iroh." She said. "It appears Mai was mistaken. The Avatar is not alone. And we have a plan. We'll finish 'interrogating' you and we'll place the worst guards to guard you. You use air-bending to get out and escape on the..."  
"Sky-Bison." Aang supplied cheerily.  
"Yes, Sky-Bison and we'll go after you with me, Zuko, Ty Lee and Mai."  
"And your old uncle?" asked Iroh, looking a little hurt.  
"Sorry Uncle, we need you on the ship or back on the mainland in the Fire Nation. We need information and what Father believes we are doing."  
Iroh frowned. If he wasn't there to keep an eye on the two siblings, he wasn't sure what would happen. But he trusted the Avatar and Ty Lee to keep them on a relatively peaceful path. And the plan made sense. To keep up the deception, they would need inside intelligence.  
"Very well, Princess Azula." said Iroh.  
"We should meet at Torment Island, the island, just in front of the Patola Mountain range. It's out of the way and not many people will go there because of the alleged spirit sightings but is the closest to the South Pole." said Zuko.  
"Agreed!" beamed Aang. "It's close to the Southern Air Temple, we should visit that too!" Azula exchanged a wary look with Ty Lee who just looked very nervous.  
"We had better finish this 'interrogation' before the Avatar's friends reach the ship." said Iroh. The other three who had been listening in the corner got up and immediately left the room, going to mysteriously closet themselves in their rooms. Azula and Iroh quickly followed, ordering a guard to take Aang to the cells.

(X)

Aang whistled as he was escorted, quickly glimpsing outside through a window as he was brought higher up to the cells. He could see Appa, Katara and Sokka getting closer every instant. Time was not something he had.  
"So...I guess you've never fought an air-bender before. I bet I could take you with my arms behind my back!" said Aang.  
"Quiet!" said one of the guards. Aang smiled a little; when you boasted, no one took you seriously, that was one thing he had learned at the Southern Air Temple.  
As they paused to open the cell doors, Aang gulped up a lot of air and blew as hard as he could, blowing both guards into the walls opposite the cell gate. With his hands still tied behind his back, Aang vaulted down the hallway and sprinted as fast as he could higher and higher towards the deck.

"The Avatar has escaped!" a guard screamed as he sped past him. Oops. Aang knocked a guard speeding towards him backwards, toppling an entire pile of guards bunched up together. With a deep breath, he jumped and leaped over all of them and landed on the last one's helmet and cutting his ropes around his wrist.  
"Thanks!" Aang chirped before sprinting towards the front deck. A guard ran onto the deck with his staff. Aang smiled and easily disarmed him with a gust of air and pulled his staff towards him.  
"Thanks a bunch! Right, now who wants to face the almighty Avatar!" he yelled. He wouldn't normally have said that at all, but from all the acting that Zuko, Azula and Ty Lee were going to be doing, it was fair he tried some too.  
He was met by seven fire-benders who had regained their momentum and were glaring at him with determination in their eyes. Aang gulped motionlessly and ducked down as he felt a disturbance in the air and they punched blasts of flame at him simultaneously. He immediately got up and whirled his staff around using the air as a shield, throwing off the now uncorrelated fire-blasts. Aang danced around them taunting them, all the while, looking towards the ever-closer blob in the sky that was looking very distinguishable. He willed all of his friends to reach the deck as fast as possible, making the escape flawless.

To his relief, Ty Lee ran onto the deck with Mai in tow.  
"Hi Avatar!" yelled Ty Lee "Listen, you wouldn't go back into the cells would you? You know as a favour?" she asked.  
Aang almost smothered a grin as all of the fire-benders turned round to look at her. Immediately, Appa, sensing danger put on a burst of speed coming ever closer towards the ship. But to his horror, Azula and Zuko were almost reluctantly pulled onto the deck by a blathering fire-bender. Aang shut his eyes, this was not good. They were supposed to come out just as they were leaving, not when he was still on deck.  
"Avatar!" yelled Zuko, with real frustration in his eyes. "Put the staff down and come quietly! Or else, we'll injure you severely!"  
"No! Never!" Aang yelled, stumbling his way backwards, closer towards where Katara and Sokka were approaching from.  
"You leave us no choice then!" said Azula loudly, a smirk playing upon her lips. She shot a burst of blue flames and Aang horrified, ducked backwards...and fell of the edge of the boat.

(X)

"AANG!" screamed Katara from where she was. "AANG, NO!" and with that she started crying a little. "Aang! Get back here! You have to save the world! You're the Avatar!"  
Then to everyone watching's great shock, the water started stirring and spinning like a whirlpool. It rose higher and higher, an impromptu tornado made out of water and at the top, right in the eye of the storm was Aang. His tattoos were glowing and his expression was furious.  
"Now that's water-bending..." murmured Sokka next to her, gazing at the display with awe.  
Then the water started whipping around faster and faster, breaking its invisible bonds and flooding the ship. It froze over the entire boat where it was wet and Aang fell onto the deck, exhausted while all the fire-benders and non-fire-benders were trapped inside a layer of ice. Katara urged Appa onto the deck, jumped off and ran to Aang.

"Hey Katara, Hey Sokka. Thanks for coming. You won't believe the story I have to tell you..." said Aang quietly.  
Katara threw her hands around him and with Sokka's help, lifted him up over her shoulders and placed him on Appa.  
"My staff...it's still on the deck." he said.  
Sokka leapt off Appa and grabbed the staff...which was frozen in the ice around Zuko's feet. Sokka swore angrily.  
"Katara, a little help here! Melting the magic water would be handy." called Sokka. Katara ran across the deck, eying the furious Azula nervously.  
She placed her hands on it and attempted to melt it. It didn't work. Sokka sighed.  
"You're so ridiculous, you know? When you don't need to do your bending mumbo-jumbo, it works out perfectly! But when we actually need it...!" Sokka gestured obscenely at Katara who smacked his hands. If they had been watching they would notice the staff slowly being thawed out by a flame coming from Zuko's foot.  
"Well, I'd like to see you try better!" hissed Katara.  
Sokka fumbled with his boomerang, attempting to get it out and started mumbling. "I'm just a guy with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all this magic and flying, you know!" When he finally pulled it out, he was about to hit the ice surrounding the staff...before noticing there was none. His mouth dropped wide open. Katara dusted her hands smugly and picked the staff up before walking away with a spring in her step, whistling a song their father used to sing.  
He looked at the frozen Zuko and shook his head.  
"Girls!" he said and he could have sworn the frozen boy had given him a sympathetic look back.

(X)

Zuko had to suppress laughter at the cluelessness of the duo. Surely they had to have realized that the water-bending girl wasn't that talented? But at least the deception had worked. As the Avatar and his companions rose into the sky, Azula broke free with excellent timing as per usual and he pulled himself out as well. The two of them nodded and aimed a fire blast, just to the left of the retreating Sky Bison. They both directed a colourful ball of fire and let it fly. As they watched with bated breath, hoping it would miss, the Avatar gave them the best defence for witnesses and smacked the fireball into the ice cliff around them, dislodging a large amount of ice...heading straight for the ship. Zuko dived to a side, just avoiding a large chunk of sharp ice where his chest had been a few second ago.

"That's it!" Azula screamed, standing up, brushing of remains of snow. "Who was foolish enough to let him escape?" Immediately, all of the fire-benders pointed at each other. Azula growled, rather too convincingly, Zuko found.  
"You know what they say; if you want something done, do it yourself." said Mai, sardonically.  
"And that is exactly what we are going to do." Zuko cut in. "You there, with the beard and sideburns! Yes, you! Go send a messenger hawk to the Fire Lord. Tell him the Avatar is back."  
Azula smirked. "The rest of you; unthaw this ship and set sail. When we reach mainland, you repair yourselves and the ship and we will be searching for the Avatar in stealth, something you morons wouldn't recognise if it thwacked you in the face!"

All of the soldiers bowed down (if they could) and started thawing each other out of the ice and snow. Azula beckoned Ty Lee and Mai towards her and they all huddled together. "We have to either depart now with a smaller ship and make our way to the island by firepower or wait until the ship reaches Earth Kingdom land." said Azula.  
"Firepower." said Mai certainly, "We need to get to the island quickly. The Sky Bison is faster than the ship and if we make a detour, they may leave without us. I don't trust the water tribe peasants."  
"Don't call them peasants Mai, I bet they're really nice! Anyway, they boy looked like the one in charge of the village. Kinda. I bet they're high up in their village!" scolded Ty Lee.  
"Their village has less people than my maidservants!" said Azula with a scoff of laughter. Zuko nodded, that was one thing he agreed with. And felt guilty about. After it was the Fire Nation's fault that they had been reduced to this. "We should get some supplies. And a sleeping bag. And a tent. And other essential stuff. Ty Lee, you should go get everything, you've been doing this for a few years so you'll know what we need."  
"It looks like we'll be roughing it for a while..." sighed Mai as they all split to get clothes and necessities.

(X)

Sokka jumped off Appa with a sigh of relief as he touched the soft earth. "Finally! We can stop! My legs feel like I've been training for 8 hours straight!"  
"Please!" Katara scoffed,"How would you know how that feels? The longest you've trained is 45 minutes and that's with little rest breaks in the middle for eating stuff!"  
"Come on, don't fight!" said Aang, twirling his way off Appa.  
"That reminds me. Why've we stopped Aang? It's not close to night time yet. We still have a few hours of daylight. We should get closer to the Earth Kingdom!" said Katara, in a questioning tone.  
"We should. But I'm awaiting a few friends here." smiled Aang.  
"Friends? You've been stuck in an iceberg for 100 years and have been out of the iceberg for less than a week. All your previous friends will be dead or extremely old and you can't have had time to make new ones!" exclaimed Sokka, incredulously.  
"Trust me. I always manage to make friends, and these ones will be very helpful. Think of it as a surprise!" smiled Aang cryptically.  
"I don't like surprises..." murmured Sokka as pulled out the tent from Appa's saddle.

They gang made camp in companionable silence. When they had finished setting up, Katara finally asked, "Who have you made friends with, Aang? And are you sure they're coming?" Aang looked a little nervous.  
"I don't know whether they'll make it today...but I'm sure they'll show up soon!"

As soon as Aang said this, a loud rustling came from the trees and a loud curse came from the same direction. Out from the trees, came a bouncy girl dressed in pink, followed by a stumbling girl who had a lot of leaves stuck in her long black hair and who had a distinctly grumpy look on her face. Aang recognised them instantly.  
"Mai! Ty Lee!" he called and Ty Lee sprinted towards him and threw her arms around him. Mai however scowled and brushed the leaves out of her hair before slowly making her way towards the campfire.  
"Where are the others?" asked Aang once he had been released from Ty Lee's choking grip.  
"They're taking a longer route; Zuko insisted on taking all of the supplies and promptly fell over when he attempted to carry them all so Azula's helping him." Mai answered in a deadpan.

Katara on the other hand had stood up and was looking at Aang with an expression of bewilderment.  
"Aang? I don't know if you've realised or not, but these people captured you and almost killed you! And they are Fire NATION!"  
Sokka laughed and flopped off his log. "I knew I didn't like surprises. This was what I was afraid of. Unsavoury characters."  
Mai looked at Sokka with raised eyebrows. Then the bushes started rustling and raised voices that sounded familiar to everyone emerged.  
"Fool! You can't do things like that without injuring others!"  
"Well, you're a manipulative bitch!"  
"Yes I am, but you're a frozen wimp who can't fight because of your stupid sense of morals!"

Katara and Sokka took battle stances towards the voices and Ty Lee and Mai immediately stood up to defend their friends. Aang looked between the groups, biting his lip with nervousness. He didn't want to act until they actually did something bad, but their stances and facial expression were more than enough proof. He groaned at his indecision and all the while, the bickering voices drew closer...

**AN: Now, I know this is a very short chapter and I'm not happy with it. But I know I wouldn't be able to write more for a long time and I wanted to publish what I had while I could. **


	6. Sokka's really bad Day

**Lightning Can be Warm**

**Chapter 6**

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Dedicated to Rioshix who made me laugh and start writing this chapter. By the way, I edited the previous chapters to cater various suggestions by lots of people. I've also added a few new bits too, so I suggest a reread.**

_He didn't want to act until they actually did something bad, but their stances and facial expression were more than enough proof. He groaned at his indecision and all the while, the bickering voices drew closer..._

Zuko and Azula burst out of the trees, looking pretty loadened down by a lot of items, in very unusual places. They also seemed to be dragging an ostrich horse that was carrying more items. There was a moment of silence. All of the children were frozen. Katara and Sokka were blinking at the normality of their appearance. They had removed their armour and looked like normal teenagers, if with better clothing than most. Azula on the other hand was wondering why Aang was looking very relieved and everybody seemed to be unsure as what to do.

"Hello? Heavy weight load here? Princess with posture rapidly deteriorating?" she asked and Ty Lee was immediately at her side, helping her lay out all of the heavy items she was carrying. Mai swiftly relieved Zuko of most of his stuff and he collapsed on the floor. Sokka laughed and all the tension seemed to break. Katara regarded the newcomers with a relative caution, but for the moment, they didn't seem to be attacking.

There was a paused as everyone sat down by the fireplace, Mai, raising an eyebrow at Azula's willingness to sit on the muddy ground.

"Have you peasants no idea of proper decorum? The lower class introduce themselves first!" she burst out a minute later.

"Well, in our tribe, we wait for our guests to introduce themselves first. Because that's proper decorum!" said Katara.

'We're not your guests! Water Tribe territory is officially at the poles. You don't own this land and we don't bend to your rules!" retorted Azula.

"Well, we don't bend to yours! You terrorized us enough with your wars! Don't try my patience here!" yelled Katara, standing up.

"I didn't personally invade your little town, so don't act so stuck-up! The way you're acting, it's like you're the princess!" said Azula, getting into Katara's face.

"I bet you and your family ordered it though... We heard them...'Break the spirit of the Water Tribe, rid it of its benders!' Don't you dare pretend that order didn't come from your _Fire Lord_!" said Katara, poking Azula on her collarbone.

Azula lit a blue flame wreathing her hands and the two were about to get into a fight when there was a yell of "ENOUGH!"

The two girls were blown apart by a gust of air and everyone turned towards Aang who looked pretty angry. He took a deep breath in.

"You're all here with me because you want to defeat the Fire Lord and restore balance to the world. We can't let our differences get to us. That means we've already lost. The Fire Nation in my time were some of the most determined and stubborn people in the world." A sad, bitter smile graced Aang's face. "They're also deeply insightful and they'll be able to recognise our weaknesses. If we can't trust each other, how will the world be able to trust us?"

"You're right Aang... I'm sorry. I let my pride get the best of me. I shouldn't have let it happen." said Katara, getting up and sitting down next to Sokka.

"No problems!" chirped Ty Lee. "Well, introductions are required then. I'm Ty Lee! I like having friends, the colour pink, practising 'varmakalai' and being a contortionist!"

"What's that?" asked Sokka.

"It works like this!" said Ty Lee and stretched her leg around her neck. Sokka recoiled and looked vaguely nauseated. "Doesn't that hurt?" he said, cautiously.

"Nope!" she said, shaking her head, enthusiastically before looking at him intently, as if analysing him. Sokka eeped as she curled her arms around him with a sly smirk.

"I'm not nearly interesting as Ty Lee is. I'm Mai and—"

"She's always bored!" said Zuko putting his arm around her. "She's also the most beautiful person in the world."

"Oh, spare me the dramatics!" said Azula, with a sneer, brushing herself off and sitting upright.

Aang motioned for her to continue talking. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I'm Princess Azula and I want nothing more than to see my father being toppled from his throne."

"She's also the greatest bending prodigy of our time, the youngest imperial fire-bender since the time of Agni, a rubbish hand-to-hand combatant and actually cares on the inside though she won't show it!" interrupted Zuko.

"Who in the spirits' name are you then?" asked Katara.

"I'm Zuko and I want peace." He said shortly, glaring at her.

"_Hi, I'm Crown Prince Zuko and I want peace because I have Daddy problems. I trust too much and I can't firebend like my amazing younger sister can. I'm only good for cannon fodder and my only talent is_ being a JERK." said Azula, with a smirk from the corner.

"What is with you today?" asked Zuko. 'You've been nothing but snarky and cynical all the time!"

"I'm just trying to figure out why my older and supposedly kinder and wiser brother decided to be the kind of person you keep trying to make me not be and robbed an old lady of her ostrich horse! If you can be yourself, why can't I? I'm sick of being your toy! I'm sick of agreeing to ideas I think are foolish! We're following a CHILD around the world, committing HIGH TREASON and ABANDONING OUR COUNTRY! I-I d-don't want you to change. I don't want you to become Father..."

Zuko smiled sheepishly. "So to sum up then, Hormones?" Azula growled and he hugged her gently.

"I was joking. And I'm sorry if I scared you. Our need was greater than hers. And I won't _ever _turn into Ozai. That I promise you. And we aren't abandoning them. That's why we're following Uncle's plan. Right?" he appealed to the other two Fire Nation girls.

They shrugged and nodded.

"I have to say, I was uncomfortable leaving the Fire Nation. There are some good people there, contrary to what you seem to believe," said Ty Lee, turning to face Katara, "But, I realise from my travels with the circus that what the Fire Nation are doing is wrong. Balance was the key to learning my trade so balance must be the key to fixing the world!" she said with a huge grin.

Katara smiled. "I'm Katara. I'm a waterbender, the only one in the South Pole. My Mom died to protect me and my Dad is fighting somewhere in the big wide world, trying to do his part prevent other families from breaking like ours did. I want to help Aang do his duty because I always believed the Avatar would return and it is the biggest honour to travel with him." She said, beaming at Aang. Aang grinned back.

"What can I say that Katara hasn't? I'm Sokka. I'm the meat and sarcasm guy. My weapons are whatever I can find. I didn't believe the Fire Nation were all bad, because I'm a rationalist. You need proof to consolidate theories. That's always been my belief. I can't say I'm pleased that you're so reluctant to help Aang, but hey, I can't talk. I banished him from the village because I thought he was a threat. Frankly, my life was better without all this magic mumbo jumbo. But, for what it's worth, I think we can save the world." finished Sokka, poking the embers of the dying fire with a stick. The fire suddenly rose up high and burned merrily again. Sokka fell to the ground with a thump and spat sand out with a scowl.

Zuko smiled and held an arm out. Sokka took it, but pulled Zuko down to the floor with it.

"Don't scare me like that again!" he warned as Zuko got up.

"Or what? You'll hit me with your club?" asked Zuko teasingly.

"Yeah! Yeah I will!" said Sokka, lifting it threateningly.

Azula, who was behind him, pinched his arm for a moment. Sokka winced and dropped the machete. "You need to work on your strength and image before anyone will be able to take you seriously." She said with a smirk. Sokka scowled as Katara burst into laughter.

"That's great Azula!" she said giggling.

Sokka stared round and sighed. "Sure, let's all bond over making Sokka look like a fool. Just _ignore_ my feelings..."

"We don't really hate you Sokka!" said Aang, "Only a little bit!"

(X)

The tension had evaporated completely by the next morning and everyone was quietly chatting and packing up the camp supplies. Apart from Sokka. He was still fast asleep. Aang smiled, but he knew the peace wouldn't last for long. Somehow, conflict would rise again in this unlikely motley band; that much was guaranteed, much to Aang's chagrin.

"Hey Aang, where are we going next?" asked Zuko as he loaded his part of the supplies onto Appa. The entire group had dumped their unnecessary supplies in the middle of the clearing. This included the stolen ostrich horse, who Sokka had aptly named, Horsey. Needless to say, everyone had started laughing.

Aang shrugged. "I dunno. North, I guess. But we _have_ to make some extra stops along the way!"

Zuko raised his eyebrow. "Uh-huh. You're gushing Aang. This cannot be good news."

"What can't be good news?" asked Ty Lee, leaning in to the conversation,

Aang grinned and pointed at Ty Lee and Zuko face-palmed. "Where are we going first?" he asked, in a weary tone. Everyone had finished loading supplies and were eagerly awaiting the answer to his question.

"Well, we _are_ in the Patola mountain range...and you know...this area used to be populated by Air Nomads... And well, 100 years ago, I used to live here. I just...just wanted to visit home. Just for a day. I need to see it for myself. _Please?_"

Aang's super big doe eyes trained themselves on Zuko. He started to feel uncomfortable.

"We might as well..." he said, looking unsure.

"Yeah! Just wait until you see it everybody! The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world!"

"I'm sure it is Aang, but it has been 100 years since you were last there, things might have changed." Katara said, looking worried

"Just tell it to him outright," said Azula, looking bored with the conversation, "Aang, you're the last airbender in the world. My ancestor, Sozin wiped them all out. Chances are, the place is a ghost-town. It'd be a good place to practise your avatar skills, there will be many souls in unrest, both Fire Nation and Air Nomads. "

Aang looked horrified. "They can't be! You're mistaken!" I bet...they're just less of them! Anyway, firebenders can't get up the sides of the mountains; you need a sky-bison to get up, they're too steep!"

"Aang, I'm going to put it to you bluntly, there were tours of the temple regularly. In large groups, weren't there?" asked Mai. Aang nodded, unsure where this was going, "I spend a lot of time in libraries, most recall a huge battle between the armies of the Air Nomads and Firebenders."

"But Air Nomads don't have an arm—" Aang was cut off by Mai continuing.

"I KNOW that Air Nomads don't have an army. The other few accounts recall a large group going up together on an alleged tour of the temple that day and slaughtering the sky-bison first when visiting the stables and then slaughtering all the airbenders. No one escaped. To check, people climbed up the mountainside for days on end and searched through the temple. None were found alive. It'll be a desolate place Aang." finished Mai.

"Are you sure you want to go, Aang?" asked Katara. He looked away to the side. "I have to know for sure." He whispered. Everyone nodded and climbed onto the bison, a sombre mood settling over them all. Apart from Sokka. Who was still snoring on the floor, curled up in his sleeping bag. Aang smirked and leapt off Appa.

"Wake up Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!" he grinned, knowing what Sokka would likely say.

"Sleep now. Temple later." Sokka mumbled and turned over, away from Aang. Azula looked she was coming down but Aang held up his hand. He knew that Sokka would say something along those lines.

He picked up a stick and ran it along Sokka's front and said, in an alarmed voice, "Wake up Sokka, there's a prickle-snake in your sleeping bag!"

Sokka jumped up, still inside his sleeping bag, screaming like a girl, "Get it off, Get it off!" When he realised there was nothing there he stopped and promptly tripped over a rock. He looked very annoyed. Everyone roared with laughter, even Mai.

"Great, you're awake, let's go!" Aang chirped.

Sokka growled. "You're a devious little kid, you know that?"

(X)

On the Seedy Merchants Port, Azula's imperial ship drew up to the dock. The door opened, with ice cracking off intot he water and half of the side of the walkway snapping off. Iroh winced and continued walking down with Lieutenant Jee, caution increased.

"Princess Azula wants repairs made as quickly as possible. Find the best ship-repairer this port may have and once it is done, find me. In the meantime, I will be attempting to find a smaller, faster means of transport to the Fire Nation; the Fire Lord will want a report about this in person." Iroh commanded. Jee bowed and walked away with a quiet, 'General'.

"Might I be able to help with the means of transport, General Iroh, great hero of our nation?" came a smooth voice from behind him. Iroh turned around and inclined his head.

"Captain Zhao. And it is, retired general now, I am merely an advisor to my younger brother."

"You'll find it is Commander Zhao now, sir." Zhao said, a barely polite expression on his face. "I have heard of a waterbender revolution in the Poles, might this be this reason why ship was damaged." Iroh said nothing to confirm or dissuade Zhao, merely, changed the question.

"You said that you would be able to help with transport then, Commander?" queried Iroh, politely, after a moment's pause.

"Yes, we would be happy to offer any means of service to the Fire Lord's brother. Why don't you tell me what happened over a friendly cup of tea?" asked Zhao smoothly.

"I would be honoured to join you for a drink, Commander Zhao." said Iroh. Zhao kept a stoic expression on his face as he dipped his head.

"Do you have any Ginseng tea? It is my favourite." asked Iroh. Zhao nodded, a faint hint of annoyance in his eyes, but he still motioned for Iroh to follow him.

(X)

"How much longer is it to the temple?" asked Mai, polishing her knifes in the back of the saddle.

"Not long now!" said Aang, from the front where he sat with Ty Lee and Katara. "I can see the Patola mountain range in the distance so we're almost there. Just a few more minutes!" He rejoined his conversation with the two girls about how to fly Appa

Mai sighed and blew her bangs out of her face before leaning into Zuko more. "I'm bored."

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Azula, from where she was sitting in the corner of the saddle, practising juggling with chunks of blue fire.

At that moment, Sokka's stomach grumbled loudly. Everyone turned to look at him.

"What? I didn't have breakfast like you people!" he said. "I'm getting some food now, don't look so annoyed."

"Tell your stomach to be quiet, I'm trying to concentrate!" snapped Azula.

"My stomach doesn't follow instructions like your fancy-shmancy fire!" called Sokka from where he was rummaging. "Ah-hah!" he called, finding a bag. He tipped it out only for a few crumbs to settle on his hands.

"Alright, who ate all the Seal Jerky?" asked Sokka.

Zuko pulled a face. "That stuff is disgusting! We had to eat that in 'Barbaric Cultures Day' in the Royal Academy for Boys." He shuddered.

Aang looked sheepish from the front. "That brown stuff in strips, right?"

Sokka nodded, looking annoyed, "Yes! I can't believe you ate it, you devious child!" said Sokka.

"That was food? I _actually _used it to fuel the campfire yesterday. Sorry about that."

Sokka face-palmed and groaned. "Awww...No wonder the flames smelt so good..."

Then, he realised something that Zuko said a just a moment ago. "You had a barbaric cultures day? That's wrong in so many ways..."

"We had one too in the Royal Academy for Girls. But I thought it was fun!" piped up Ty Lee from the front.

"Ýou were the only one in the entire school." said Mai.

"And, if I remember correctly, you suggested it in the first place." said Azula, a smirk on her face. "That was the first time I realized you had potential. If you could torture people in such an effective way, you had to have something. Then you revealed your varmakalai abilities, and we became such good friends!"

"Right, do I even want to know what varamakalai is?" asked Sokka.

"No. You really don't." said Zuko, rubbing his arm, remembering the first time Ty Lee had used it on him.

"Zuko! Varmakalai is the art of hitting people's pressure points to block their chi or to paralyse them. It depends _who_ you hit and how hard." said Ty Lee, "I made friends with some acrobats from the local circus and they said I had natural talent in all things circus. They taught me varmakalai when they couldn't teach me anything else."

"That's really fascinating Ty Lee, but we're here! Everyone hold on tight! Appa, yip yip!" Aang said, with a grin and nearly everyone grabbed hold of something and stared as Aang took them vertically up the side of a mountain, travelling faster and faster until the grey-green blurred into a bland colour until they burst above the clouds to where the temple was haloed by sunlight. Azula took a deep breath in of the sunlight filled air. It felt more like the Fire Nation above the clouds.

"There it is! The Southern Air Temple." Aang announced, a sense of bitter-sweet happiness tingeing his voice. No one seemed to notice.

"Wow Aang! It's amazing!" said Katara, her eyes wide.

'Looks prettier than most Fire Nation buildings," commented Mai from the back, "But it isn't anything too special."

"Though, I suppose if you come from a run-down frozen wasteland, this does look pretty astounding!" said Azula. Katara looked at her, a scowl marring her face.

"You have no sense of tact, do you Azula?" she asked.

Aang sensing another argument held his hands out.

"It doesn't matter. It's okay. I have to show you my home!"

(X)

"So, by year's end, the Earth Kingdom Capital will be under our rule. The Fire Nation will finally claim victory in this war." Zhao finished.

Iroh hid a yawn. He had heard all of this before, reassurances from courtiers and friends that Ba Sing Se would give up easily if he put his efforts to it. He doubted it would happen, but it would not do to say so.

"Am I boring you, General Iroh?" asked Zhao. Iroh sighed, his boredom had not gone unnoticed.

"I do not believe for one instant that the Earth Kingdom will surrender without a fight, even, with the Comet. I discovered that the hard way in my youth." He said, carefully phrasing his words. There were times like this when he really hated politics. He had gladly given up his throne to his brother, not just because he had been distraught but because of how carefully you had to tread and trying to decide who would be the best candidate to backstab was much too stressful for an old man.

"Let us move on I mentioned at the dock, I heard that there has been a waterbender revolution in the South Pole. I also heard the entire Royal family were dispatched. I assume that must be why the ship is quite so damaged?"

Iroh inclined his head, not answering the question yet, as before, merely curious as to Zhao's assumptions.

"Though, if the whole royal family has been dispatched, I wonder why the charming company of Crown Prince Zuko and Princess Azula are not here to make acquaintances with.

Iroh carried on smiling, but in his mind, he swore. He had hoped that Zhao would be as foolish as Guild Master Jeong Jeong had said he was. Unfortunately, he was rather perceptive. Of course, he could not have gained ranks so fast without some extraordinary talent.

"Now, from a messenger hawk we have received, the waterbender revolution doesn't exist. However, your crew found the Avatar. Then let him escape. Princess Azula, Crown Prince Zuko then sent themselves and some elite friends of theirs on a secret mission to find him. Now, General Iroh, care to explain why you seemed to be covering up this information?"

Iroh's smile faltered, despite his frantic attempts to stay calm. He was doomed.

(X)

The group trailed after a hyperactive Aang as he ran up the slippery mountainside slopes without a care in the world.

"I'm hungry..." whined Sokka as they climbed the mountainside. He knew he should have a responsibility to his friends, but he was having a bad day. He'd been woken up far too early for this time of year, had his seal jerky burnt, realized the entire group had bonded together on making him look like a fool and he was frankly, pretty pissed off with his life. He was going to whine and not care about his manliness for once in his life.

"You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an airbender temple, and all you can think about is food?" asked Katara.

"If I'd known you were going to be so annoying, I would have saved some food for you at breakfast," sneered Azula as she and Ty Lee marched by to where Aang had stopped.

"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs!" he yelled to Azula who sneered at him.

"What's up, Aang?" asked Ty Lee, "Why've we stopped?"

Aang pointed to an area with large wooden sticks of different sizes and something that looked like goalposts at either ends.

"That's where me and my friends would play airball." He then pointed to a large area which looked soft. "And over there is where the bison would sleep and—" he broke off with a sigh and looked away.

"And?" asked Zuko.

"This place used to be full of people—monks and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds. Compare it to Imperial City being deserted!"

"Where's that?" asked Ty Lee.

"It's what Sozin City was called before the Comet and the airbender genocide." Mai replied, listlessly.

Ty Lee frowned. "That's just wrong, Sozin City's always packed. It wouldn't be the capital otherwise."

There was a contemplative silence. Aang looked into the distance. "A lot had changed. I'd hoped—you know, there'd be survivors. Hiding." He smiled bitterly.

Ty Lee glanced at Azula who looked at Zuko who squinted at Sokka. They all stepped forward.

"So...this airball game...how do you play?" Sokka asked, pushing aside himself, once again, despite his tired visage.

Aang turned around with a grin on his face. "I'll tell you all about it!"

(X)

"So General Iroh...you are telling me, you didn't tell anyone this to keep your nephew and niece safe? Would it not have been safer if you had sent a platoon of imperial firebenders to deal with the Avatar?"  
Iroh sighed, his lies sounded so bad when they were put bluntly like that.

"Ye-es? I mean, Yes, the blundering fools would have ruined the entire operation. Princess Azula has a plan, and Princess Azula NEVER fails."

"I see, you consider imperial firebenders 'blundering fools'? I will have to tell the Fire Lord that..." said Zhao, contemplatively.

Iroh'a eyes widened, he was very glad the Commander's back was to him, though was all too aware the guards were watching his reactions too. 'Really now? Then I can finally get an officer who agrees with me about the standard of today's children dropping. So very sad. Us old-timers must stick together to discipline the future the proper way!" he said, proudly, glad his lying skills were looking up.

'I am so glad you agree with me, Iroh, I have so very many problems about that! For instance..." Commander Zhao continued talking but Iroh tuned him out. He wondered how Zuko and Azula were coping with the cheerful Avatar. He was sure however that Mai, the poor gloomy girl would have committed suicide already.

"General? General, sir?" asked Zhao

"Sorry, Commander, the beautiful quality of the tea must have stolen my attention from your last few words. My apologies. Please continue."

"I have finished." Said Zhao and Iroh nodded calmly. He was about to say something to break the silence when a messenger entered the room.

"Commander Zhao sir, a reply was received to your previous correspondence!" a panting page boy said, handing Zhao a scroll.

"Excuse me General," said Zhao, as he took the letter and broke the seal. As he read it, his smirk curved upwards. That couldn't be good.

"Now General, I am afraid I will have to cut this meeting short. I have received permission to aid the Royal Elites. I will take this responsibility seriously, so I must start planning routes and ways to capture him. I must thank you for the..._enlightening_ conversation. The guards will show you the way out and a boat will be waiting to take you the Fire Nation.

Iroh looked at Zhao. Here would be the perfect place to be close enough to Zuko and Azula to keep and eye on them and be able to send them news. He had to stay with Zhao.

'On the contrary Commander. I would most wish to stay here with you and to oversee the operation from the background. Would the advise of an old war general be welcomed?" asked Iroh

Zhao smiled. 'It would be very much so..." he said and with that, he left the tent.

(X)

Sokka and Zuko stood on top of the sticks at one side of the 'pitch' as Aang called it. They had just been split into two teams and Zuko wasn't confident the two of them would win.

He had whispered in an undertone has they had clambered onto the sticks, "Not only have Aang, Azula and Ty Lee have more people on their side, Azula is highly competitive and has...creative ways of using firebending." Sokka had winced. Pain this early in the morning was only leading to this day getting worse.

Aang threw the old ball high into the air Sokka looked quizzically at it until Azula leapt forward and propelled it forward through the sticks with a strong blast of blue fire. Sokka panicked and dived out the way, leaving Zuko to catch it and reverse the ball through the poles back towards Aang with pure force and a little bit of bending the heat surrounding the ball.

Ty Lee dived towards the ball, hit it with her back feet, making it soar through the air, hitting Sokka right in the stomach before he realised it was coming his way and pushed him through the goal.

"YES!" Aang shouted. "Team Avatar, Five, Team Boys, Zeroooooo!" he crowed.

"Sokka pulled himself up from the moss slightly, rubbing his stomach.

"Making _him_ feel better is putting _me_ in a world of hurt." He moaned to Katara who was standing close by. Zuko lightly jumped from the poles and landed next to Sokka.

"That was an almighty fail if I say so myself." said Zuko, holding a hand out for Sokka to grab. Sokka eyed it suspiciously and pulled himself up.

"Never mind, if it's put Aangy-Wangy in a better mood, it should be worth it." Zuko snorted at the nickname as Mai drifted over towards them.

"That was entertaining," Mai said blandly.

Zuko looked at her. "You didn't watch it, did you?" he asked, looking curious.

She shook her head. "_No, I was admiring the view_. What do you think I was doing? There's nothing else _to_ do!"

Zuko put his hands up defensively and Mai shook her head.

"At least I'm not babysitting the world's most annoying child anymore." She said as Aang, Azula and Ty Lee joined them.

"That's enough practise everybody, we should move onto the _real_ temple now!" he chirped.

'I never knew the Monks had such an...entertaining game to play," said Azula in an undertone to Zuko.

'You just liked it because you won." He said with a dry smile. 'Do you regret leaving home now, Azula?"

"You know what? I don't think I do. Surprisingly. Though I'll miss the servants. Then again, you can't have everything in life." She said as they made their way back up the mountainside.

(X)

Aang stopped outside a courtyard door.

"Feel free to explore, I have to see if something still exists!" he said and they started climbing through the many courtyards and corridors.

"So tell me something about the Air Nomads Mai. I'm sure you know quite a lot." said Katara.

"Why should I?" said Mai in a monotone voice "How am I, a Fire Nation girl supposed to know anything about the Air Nomads?"

Katara faltered, her attempt at friendship obviously scorned. "Bec-Because y-you said you'd spent a lot of time in the l-library and you seemed really knowledgeable on the War's details." said Katara hesitantly.

"Don't be so uppity Mai! She's only trying to be a friend!" said Ty lee, joining them at the balcony. She looked at Katara with an exasperated look. "She did that to me when I tried to be her friend after she saved me from some bullies."

"And I told you to toughen up. Did you take my advice?" said Mai.

"Well, yes. I defend myself and my friends from bullies now with varmakalai and I've lasted many tortures you don't know about."

Mai smirked. "Don't get angry, Miss Poof. It was a rhetorical question." Katara smiled, Mai seemed to be loosening up when there was a sudden crack and Mai's face suddenly snapped back to monotone and she walked away.

"What's up with her?" asked Katara.

"I don't know. She's very private, like a snail-clam. You should ask Zuko. He might know." said Ty Lee with a smile.

"Hey guys!" called Aang, everyone looked up from their respective activities to glance at him on the higher courtyard. "There's someone I'd like you to meet. Everyone looked puzzled, surely no one had survived the genocide?

The group scrambled to the top, Ty Lee getting there first, pulling Sokka up first and almost dropping him. He scowled as he touched the land as everyone else stepped over him or in Zuko case, tripped over him. This really was shaping up to be a really bad day.

Azula walked herself to the front, eager to meet this airbender that managed to survive the genocide as imperial firebenders took the— Oh.

There was a wooden statue in a calm lotus position with brushings of snow covering him. Briefly she wondered how the wood hadn't rotten away over the 100 years but the overwhelming sense of incredulity brushed that fleeting thought away.

"That's it?" she said, an eyebrow going up. "This is the so called 'person' you wanted us to meet? A statue?"

Aang shook his head and finger. "Not just any old statue. Meet Monk Gyatso, the greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang then bowed to the statue and held there before looking up, a look of sadness entering his eyes.

Azula looked unimpressed and tapped her long fingernails impatiently on the stone banister to the side of her. This was _not_ worth the climb.

"You must miss him." said Katara, placing a hand on his shoulder. Azula rolled her eyes, such obvious fawning and smothering would soon get very tiring to both Aang and herself watching it. On the other side of the courtyard, Mai seemed to agree.

Aang started walking up the stairs past the old wooden statue.

"Where are you going now?" asked Sokka, looking weary. Azula rolled her eyes, such unfitness and constant complaining would have had him kicked out immediately if he had been Fire Nation.

"The Air Temple Sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet." He said.

"Another statue?" asked Azula.

"Dear Agni, I hope not!" Mai murmured, "The boredom would kill me."

Katara shot a quizzical look to everyone. Sokka shrugged and they all followed him.

(X)

After a very long flight of stairs, they reached a vast corridor in a bright yellow paint that was fading and flaking. An old tree was snaking around the walls and reaching an odd shaped mechanism on the large door. There were piles of snow and half-melted slush everywhere and beams of light made their way in through the old holes cut out for windows whose glass had vanished over the years.

"Aang, no one could have survived in there for 100 years, even if he didn't get slaughtered." said Katara as she walked up next to him.

"It's not impossible. I survived." He said.

Sokka shuffled towards Aang sideways and looked at him with an incredulous look. "You're the Avatar. Stuff like that happens!"

"Everybody here were airbenders. I don't know any other element other apart from air. Someone could have survived." said Aang.

Everyone looked at Mai who shrugged. "What? There aren't many texts about airbenders. They're forbidden and replaced with propaganda. It isn't the truth the stuff I read on a daily basis. I have no idea whether or not it's possible to survive that long without Avatar powers."

"I just realised, this person in here may be able to help me with all this Avatar stuff!"

"And maybe, the person in there might have a medley of pure, delicious meat!" said Sokka, eyes wide in a surprisingly evil look.

Then he ran at the door and collided with it and fell down backwards. He got up again rapidly and attempted different ways of pushing the door open.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Look, I'll just burn the door down, get out of the way, peasant."

"NO! Don't burn one oaf the only pieces of my culture left!" said Aang, looking at Azula with a dubious tone to his voice. "Are you stupid? Anyway, I know how to bring the door down. The lock can only be unlocked by an airbender. Watch."

He stepped forward and took a very deep breath inwards and sent two blasts of air into the two horns either side of the mechanism. The sheels slowly turned around, linking the path of ait towards the middle shell which once turned, unlocked the door. When Aang brought his hands down, the door swung open with an almighty creak.

"Woah..." said Ty Lee, gazing into the dark room.

Azula lit her flame, sending an eerie blue tint to the room as she walked in. Zuko followed her lead, making two bunches of flame in each hand and followed Azula in.

Aang darted next to Zuko. "Hello?" he called into the darkness. 'HELLO? ANYONE HOME?" the room echoed and Aang stared upwards and around him. Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, there were statues.

Zuko looked pretty astounded. "This is amazing!" he gasped, he hadn't seen anything like it. Sokka didn't look impressed.

"We came up here for more statues? Where's the meat?" he whined. Azual shot him two looks. The first one an, 'I told you so' look and the second was one of annoyance.

"I wonder who they all are?" said Katara who was next to Azula examining a statue.

"I think I do." said Mai, scratching the stone and taking in all the details as she quickly darted around. "This is the Avatar cycle. Air, Water, Earth, Fire. And this statue looks a lot like the picture of Avatar Kyoshi." She said, looking up to one particularly tall girl in makeup and with fans.

"These must be your past lives, Aang!" said Katara, poking a waterbender's feathered coat.

"Wow! There's so many!" he exclaimed.

Sokka looked at Katara oddly as Aang wandered away towards Zuko. "You believe in this stuff?" he asked

"The Avatar is as much part of our history as the spirits. The Avatars were the spirits' mortal forms upon Earth. The numerous amount makes sense, there were Avatars from the beginning of time. The Avatar reincarnates every time he dies to a new race, something you should know if you were literate." said Azula from where she stood next to Zuko. Sokka pulled a face at her from behind her.

"And this statue looks very familiar. Can you remember it Zuko?" she asked.

"I can," he murmured, touching the avatar's headpiece, "This is—

"-Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me." finished Aang, staring up at his face.

"How do you know that Aang?" asked Katara.

"I—I don't know. I just did." stuttered Aang.

Sokka growled "You just couldn't get any weirder!"

"Perhaps you recognised him from a dream or the Avatar Spirit remembered something." said Mai absently from the other side of the room.

"Maybe..." murmured Aang as he walked away from the group around Roku.

Suddenly, there was a rustle from near the door. Everyone stiffened and turned towards the door. From the light, a large shadow was cast. Everybody ducked behind a statue and hid silently. Ty Lee squeezed next to Sokka and squeezed his arm.

"Enemy. Don't make a sound!" Sokka whispered.

"You're making a sound!" said Katara in her normal voice and Aang and Sokka shushed her.

Azula rolled her eyes and whispered, "On the count of three, attack! One," Zuko conjured some fire and Ty Lee rolled up her sleeves.

"Two..." Everyoen crouched, ready to leap.

"THREE!" Everybody exploded form behind their statues ready to hurt whoever was in the door and stopped dead.

In front of them was a lemur. It cocked it's head and looked intently at the group, blinking several times.

"AWWWWWW!" Ty Lee squealed, "It's shooooo cyute!" she lisped.

"Lemur!" yelled Aang.

"Dinner..." said Sokka, his mouth drooling.

"Don't listen to him; you're going to be my new pet!" Aang retorted

"Not if I get to him first!" said Sokka hungrily.

They both ran out after it and understandably, the lemur screeched and ran away from both of them out into the corridor.

Zuko started laughing and both Katara and Azula rolled their eyes.

"Boys..." said Katara, her nose wrinkled in disdain.

"Well Sokka has got the right survival idea. Any animal is food, regardless of how cute or not it is." said Zuko.

"Zuko's right, food is food." said Mai.

"Aw guys, you wouldn't eat a little cute fluffy rabbit-kitten, would you?" asked Ty Lee.

"If it was a choice between that and starvation? Yes." said Azula, "I'd better go check up on Aang. Knowing him, he's found something ridiculously dangerous to do." She said, with a tinkling laugh.

"I'll come with you," said Katara, maybe this was her chance to bond with Azula.

Suddenly, all of the statues started to glow a brilliant blue. All of the group exchanged looks and pelted as fast as they could out of the room after Aang and Sokka.

When they made their way out of the building, an immensely strong gale was pelting the mountainside with rubble, snow and bones.

Katara made her way to Sokka who was hiding behind a ripped up wall, clinging on for dear life as his legs were blown behind him. Everyone else followed, making sure to cling onto something.

"What's going on?" yelled Katara.

"He saw Gyatso and went psycho!" yelled Sokka.

"He triggered his Avatar State. This is triggered when the Avatar is in extreme danger or feeling a particularly strong emotion, in this state, he can access all the power and knowledge of all of his past life. It's considerably strong."

"You're telling me!" yelled Sokka as he was almost blown away but caught by Ty Lee who kept a firm grip on Sokka and the wall.

"I'm going to try and calm him down!" yelled Azula.

"Be careful!" yelled Sokka.

Zuko looked her in the eye. "Hurry, or he'll blow us off the mountain's side."

She slowly picked her way towards him as he rose slowly upwards, making sure to keep her balance.

She got as close to him as she could and started yelling to him.

"Aang! We all know grief here. We have all lost someone we loved."

'Yeah!" yelled Katara as she got closer to Azula, "Sokka and I lost our Mum. She was the most important thing in our lives and then she was dead. It's hard to take in, but you have to get over it!"

"Me and Zuko lost our mother. She murdered our grandfather to keep us alive. And Ty Lee suffered the loss of her best friend at the circus. And Mai lost her beloved pet fish."

There was a snort of laughter from Sokka who was silenced by Ty Lee's grip loosening and he gulped.

'Anyway, the fact is, we all know what grief feels like and how it can overtake everything. But like a—wise old man once said, Grieve and feel no shame in it but know when to let it go. You have to let it go!"

Zuko looked up, the wind was lessening, Aang was reaching the floor again

"Aang, you lost family 100 years ago, but now you have a new one! Me, Sokka, Ty Lee, Mai, Zuko, Azula, we're your family now. You can count on us Aang! Please, stop this!"

The wind stopped and sputtered and Aang gently landed before falling to the floor in a swoon. Sokka dropped from flying backwards in the air to sprawled on the floor, sand in his mouth, yet again.

Katara ran towards Aang and comforted him as did Ty Lee but Zuko turned to Azula. "A wise old man? I thought you considered Uncle as a tea-loving fuddy-duddy?" he said.

Azula looked him with raised eyebrows. "If I told Aang that, he would hardly believe it now, would he?"

Zuko laughed as they walked down the mountainside, back towards the cave where Appa was.

(X) 

Everyone was off gathering, talking or generally mucking about while Sokka was sat by the campfire attempting to light it with two stones. Usually in the South Pole, this was an easy task, but here, Sokka seemed to find it increasingly difficult. He blamed it on his immensely horrendous day. He growled and threw the stones to the ground and flopped backwards. Suddenly the fire sparked and turned a brilliant blue to a ridiculous height. Sokka screamed and moved backwards.

"If you wanted a fire lit, you should have asked the firebender." said Azula, perching on a fallen tree trunk, opposite him.

Sokka snapped. He screamed and paced and mumbled thing sunder his breath. Azula look surprised and slightly taken aback but not very frightened.

"When you sound like a girl, it's very hard to take you seriously," she said to him and he turned around looking pretty annoyed.

"That's it! I am up to here with girls in general being a pain in the neck. They insult me, they drop me, they beat me in bending and CAN'T STOP SHOWING OFF! BOYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SUPERIOR GENDER! BOYS ARE BETTER THAN GIRLS!"

By now everyone had gathered in the clearing to hear his final statements.

Aang and Zuko exchanged looks and stepped backwards as all the girls apart from Azula started yelling verbal abuse at Sokka.

"He's a lost case." said Aang and Zuko nodded and replied, "It's strange though, I thought he was the calm, rational one."

Aang shrugged. "Everyone has an off day. He didn't believe in Magic or Spirits two days ago. Now another one of his beliefs is challenged. Can't blame him."

"Say," Zuko asked, "Aren't you supposed to be an ultimate peacemaker?" Zuko's eyebrows rose as the shouting got louder as Sokka attempted to defend himself.

"You're kidding me, right? I'm not getting in the middle of that argument. Would you try to stop them?" Zuko shook his head and sat down to watch the show.

Azula finally stood up. She had been calmly listening to the entire conversation and there was a silence immediately. She went up to Sokka and started talking, a hint of sarcasm lacing her words.

"Sokka, you believe boys are better than girls? Why don't you prove it? Here and now. I CHALLENGE YOU TO AN AGNI KAI!" she finished with a flourish.

Zuko facepalmed. This could not be good.

**AN: To be continued... Sorry. I'm going away on holiday to America on the 1****st**** so I wanted to get something out. I won't have a laptop I can write with in America so, I thought I'll write fast and this only took me a day and half to write, so officially my Author's Block is gone. Yay! It might have something to do with my birthday being on the 3****rd**** though...**

**The next chapter is something that actually inspired the entire story. The 'Agni Kai' was my basis for writing this entire thing but as we've gone along, I've planned a few more I can't wait to write. Of course, if you believe I have any basis or perpetual planning of a path for this story to go along, you're sorely mistaken. **

**Thank you for reading this if you have reached this point. Very sorry for this long AN but I wanted to get that out of my system. But review if you want to! I love hearing from readers so I know I'm not just writing to imaginary people. **


	7. The Agni Kai of sorts

**Lightning**** Can Be Warm **

**Chapter 7**

**AN: Whoa! Responses! You guys are amazing, but there are quite a few of you who aren't ****signing in and writing a comment. If you have an account, please do sign in, I love chatting to readers (It's probably why I take so long writing and doing other PRODUCTIVE things...) I also notice all the constructive criticism (and occasionally, just criticism) are from people aren't signed in. I love, love, LOVE improving my stories and I want to thank whoever it is who tells me what's wrong with my writing or who I could improve it. Please sign in and review so I can thank you all.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. I kept having to listen to ENDHIRAN'S soundtrack, especially Kilimanjaro to write the 'Agni Kai'. The tune and the inflections of the voices (not the actual words) are how I imagine the encounter would go, that is, if it were in song, which it isn't. (Search it up, the video is particularly funny, though if Sokka and Azula dressed up like that, I would burst out laughing and never stop.)**

_Azula finally stood up. She had been calmly listening to the entire conversation and there was a silence immediately. She went up to Sokka and started talking, a hint of sarcasm lacing her words._

_"Sokka, you believe boys are better than girls? Why don't you prove it? Here and now. I CHALLENGE YOU TO AN AGNI KAI!" she finished with a flourish._

_Zuko facepalmed. This could not be good._

"But Azula," Ty Lee piped up after a moment's pause, "An Agni Kai is usually one on one. And the two people competing have to be firebenders. How is this going to work?"

"We'll adjust it slightly." said Azula with a smirk. "Instead of actively fighting each other, we'll each have a period of time to show off our skills to another the person. That other person can only defend in the period of time. Then we switch positions. Whoever gets the other down fastest, wins. This is for Sokka's benefit, so he can have a 'fair contest'. I would prefer an Agni Kai, personally."

Sokka looked slightly nervous and/or regretting what he'd just said in a fit of temper. He looked to Aang and Zuko.  
"A little help here guys? Boys stick together and all?"

Zuko looked incredulous. "Do you really think we're going to suffer for your stupidity? We know girls and boys are equal in every way, we aren't quite that friendly yet to be humiliated for you. Right Aang?" Zuko appealed.

Aang frowned. 'I can't exactly say I'm happy about all of you fighting. We went through this yesterday. I hope that we'll be able to defuse enough tension today so we won't have to do this tomorrow evening. And personally, I'm staying out of this, I'm not taking sides. Avatar has to be impartial and all that jazz..."

Sokka sighed, just another thing to add to the list of unfortunate events that happened today. "No chance I could back out and admit defeat now?" he asked.

Azula shook her head before any of the others could react. "Not a chance, peasant."

He ran his fingers through his hair and breathed out. If he had to go through with this, he might as well make the most of it by making Azula as angry as possible. Possibly the others too, but mostly Azula. Stuck up princess brat.

"How could you think girls could ever be better than boys?" he asked, "Who does everything in society? We hunt food, we build houses, we defend our families; not to mention we're stronger than you!" he called out, as they spread out into the clearing, much further away front their supplies, so as not to hurt them. While he was doing this, he pulled out his boomerang and his machete. These would have to be in ship-shape if he was going to fight Azula.

Katara scoffed as she helped Ty Lee to take off Azula's armour. "Please! Women cook the food you hunt, mend the clothes you rip while building houses and clean the stinky clothes from practicing to fight! I don't think I've seen you touch your socks! You wouldn't know the first thing to do! And girls can do all of the above mentioned things! I'd like to see you try to cook Gran-Gran's stewed sea-prunes. You'd put in so much spice, even the seal-lions would run away from it!"

Sokka laughed as he pulled the whetstone along the edge of the machete. He preferred to sharpen his machete to nick clothing and make a ladder in them. Katara always got annoyed when he did that. His boomerang wasn't too sharp, so as to pack a punch but not seriously injure.  
"True, but when have _you_ in particular ever done any of the 'above mentioned things'? I do all of them! That is why boys are better than girls! Always better!"

Azula smirked as she rubbed talcum powder into her hands to make the fire burn colder. She didn't want to seriously injure Sokka, just teach him a lesson. She had no doubt that she would win, he had no training and no discipline.  
"Sounds like you Water Tribe are seriously backwards. In the Fire Nation, we may be 'cruel and callous' as you like to describe us, but everyone is equal in our eyes. No one is denied because of age, skin colour or gender!" she said with a laugh. "Tell you what, if you think we're so feeble, how about you let us go first? We'll show you how...'delicate and girly' we really are." She said. Ty Lee looked at Azula nervously.

"Azula, he can't bend." She whispered.

"I know," Azula whispered back, retying Ty Lee's braid "I'm not going to hurt him. He's pathetic. This is just to show him a lesson." Azula rapidly got confused at the hair and shook her head. "Get Mai or Katara to finish this, I can't do braids." Ty Lee grinned.

(X)

Mai sighed from the sidelines. She couldn't be bothered to get involved, there was no excitement in beating up someone who couldn't defend themselves. "Hey Zuko," she whispered, "Aren't you going to help him? Azula will probably murder him."

Zuko gave her a look before going back to sharpening his dao blades.  
"Azula's just playing. She won't hurt him. Anyway, I'm not getting involved in that. I have more self-preservation instincts than Sokka, you know that." He said, shooting her a sly look before putting an arm around her awkwardly and pulling her closer.

"Having fun yet?" he asked and she leaned on his shoulder.

"Describe your definition of fun. It hasn't been amazing, but I could never describe this as boring." She said in her dry tone.

"Better than home, though?" said Zuko, putting the swords away.

"Definitely..." Mai said, smiling.

It was then Azula, tired of the taunting from Sokka and the retorts from both of them made her first move. She jumped into the air, spun around and sent two jets of flame towards Sokka before back-flipping and sending another one. Sokka dodged the first two and dissipated the last burst with his machete. Unfortunately, it was made of metal, and as Mai watched impassively, he dropped it, his fingers redder than usual and throbbing.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Get the salve ready Ty Lee," he whispered, "The fool's going to get burnt more than that."

Katara looked concerned at that. "He may be an idiot but he's my brother. Tell me honestly Zuko, will Azula hurt him?" she asked, her eyes not leaving Azula's ferocious fire-whip attacks that Sokka only just seemed to be dodging.

Mai shook her head. "No, Azula's playing with him. If she wanted to hit him, she would have. He's not that fast. I could hit him with a knife from here."

Zuko nodded in agreement. "Mai's right. Every firebender gets burnt before they control fire."

Katara looked annoyed. "He isn't a firebender! He isn't any kind of bender! He's just my stupid but clever brother. I can't watch this anymore."

"Actually, I think you should..." said Aang, his eyes fixated on the scene.

Katara turned around, looking confused. "He's winning..." she breathed. Sokka was using his environment to his advantage. Hiding behind rocks, climbing into tiny caves to avoid being hit, galloping through plants...Katara hadn't ever seen her brother fight this well before and Mai hadn't ever seen someone frustrate Azula so much. She exchanged a look with Zuko who looked nervous. Mai scooted closer to Zuko.

"Do you think she will lose control?" she asked, her voice deadpan to all but those who knew her.

"She never has before...but no one has ever fought like this to her before. It's always been strength and skill with Azula, never tactics and tricks like Sokka's using here. He has a completely different way of fighting to the Fire Nation... but you can see, he's getting slower. He can't keep this up. He's not properly trained. He fights like a swordsman I used to sneak out and watch in action, with less discipline."

Ty Lee grinned. "You're talking about Piandao, aren't you? My brother used to adore him..." her voice petered away and Zuko put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"What happened to your brother?" asked Aang as Sokka skidded on a piece of bamboo through Azula's legs.

"Banished. He was a Fire Nation deserter. He left along with Piandao and Jeong-Jeong as part of the 4th Troop Revolution. No one knows whether he's alive or dead and to be frank? No one cares. Apart from me." said Ty Lee, her usually bright tone, clouded and blunt. She winced as Sokka taunted Azula about something; she had no doubt been probably very offensive to her.

Zuko swore and stood up. Katara looked at him with concern. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"She's going to lose control. Ty Lee, come with me. Neutralize her."

But Mai shook her head. "No. She isn't. She's going to beat him. See? The twitching in her hand's gone. Watch..."

Everyone sat down at once as Azula seemed to acquiesce to Sokka's tauntings and they seemed to get rather close together.

"Are they going to kiss?" asked Ty Lee, shock written over her face. But to Zuko's surprise, Aang was rolling around with laughter.

"No!" he sputtered before guffaws overtook anything he was going to say and Zuko watched with growing amusement as Sokka was thrown to the floor and Azula seemed to be smirking in his face.

Zuko rushed over with Mai and Ty Lee on his heels.

"You really thought you could win, didn't you?" said Azula, as Zuko closer into earshot.

"I was doubtful at first, after all, if no one else was going to fight you, you must have done something good, but as the fight went along, my confidence grew. You were rubbish! ...then you shattered any hope of winning. Figures."

"Ha! I beat you, you Water Tribe peasant. Girls are better. Always. Admit it."

"You might have beat me, but remember, I'm heavier, wiser and I almost beat you. Girls aren't the best. You are." said Sokka, pushing her off him.

"Sokka..." Katara said as she garbed the salve from Ty Lee, "Let me put this on, you're fingers look horri—

Sokka's hand pushed into her face. "It's warm enough to sleep out here with a sleeping bag. I'm not hungry. Leave me alone, I need some time. I'll be back in the morning." He took the salve out of Katara's hands, slung his bag on his shoulders and walked out of the clearing, a scowl etched on his face.

Katara looked worried. "He's really upset. He's always hungry! How is he not hungry now?"

Zuko sighed. "He needs time. I always did every time Azula beat me."

The aforementioned girl looked confused as Ty Lee and her quietly talked in the corner. Mai could only catch the words, "Did he compliment me after I beat him?" of the whole conversation. She figured it mustn't have been anything important to their 'quest'.

"Coincedently, Aang, why were you laughing like you were gassed?" asked Zuko, his face contorted as they restarted the fire and roasted the raw arctic-hen he had stolen from the ship.

"Gyatso used that technique on Mother Milana when the Southern Air Temple was hosting a festival of the air-temples. That was just before I got my tattoos..." said Aang, getting steadily sadder as he drifted into memories.

Azula put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't dwell on their disappearances. Dwell instead on what they taught you and how you laughed."

She sat down next to Zuko and stole his piece of meat from the fire. Zuko squawked indignantly.

"That's mine, Zula!" he said, his voice filled with righteous indignation. Ty Le giggled and Aang chuckled as Azula took great relish in eating just to make Zuko jealous. He rolled his eyes. "I should have known with Sokka gone, you'd all make fun of me!" But there was a good-natured tone to his voice, one that had never happened in Sokka's voice.

(X)

Sokka sighed as he clambered out of his sleeping bag. Usually, sleeping was an easy task for Sokka, and it should have been on today of all days, but Sokka found himself unable to rest. He picked up his sleeping bag, hoisted it on his shoulder and walked away from the forest. He reached the beach and looked down at the water lapping at the shore. There was light mist gathering on top of the water.

Sokka sat down and stared. Katara would have said that the spirits were in alignment and that the dead were exerting their influence on the world. Sokka knew from the traders that occasionally visited that the mist was caused by condensation, but after the events of today, Katara's theory _would_ be true.

Sokka put his head in his hands. He wasn't sure who he was and why everything he thought was true was being challenged. He didn't believe in luck but if he had, he would have said he was having a streak of bad luck. But as it was, Sokka blamed it on Katara. Everything was always the younger sibling's fault. It was in the sibling handbook.

_Peace child, you will find your strength._

Sokka darted up. Nobody was there but he could have sworn he'd heard a voice. Sokka slapped himself. Now he really was going mad. But the womanly voice was gentle and calm; and Sokka felt stronger and more resolved than he had before.

'Find a goal and you'll find yourself, Sokka. That's how I cope.' He remembered the words of Bato at that moment. They had been uttered a long time ago as the two of them had sneaked out to hunt polar-seals, contrary to what his Dad and Mum had said. That was just after Bato's wife had died and Sokka had asked how he was coping. He had understood grief, even then. He'd always been an odd child.

_I need a goal._ thought Sokka. 'Find yourself' was _FAR _too ambiguous and 'Help Aang master all of the elements' was too vague. Sokka yawned and put his sleeping bag on the sand. He'd be woken up in the morning by high tide, he knew, but then again, that was a better alarm clock than his sister and the devious little Avatar.

Everything would be better in the morning. There was no rational explanation as to why, but Sokka just knew.

**AN: Okay, so this is a short chapter, but I didn't want to get into the details of the 'Warriors of Kyoshi' as I have a LOT planned for that chapter. Prepare for a lot of Fire Nation bashing (despite my feelings about that) and Suki being far less naïve than she was before. When I said this was AU...I meant it.**

**Oh, and please, if there are any Narnia fans amongst you, my loyal readers, please go vote on my poll. I can't seem to get my Narnia craze out. I've loved the series since I was 5, but I've been enlightened to the fandom by reading too much by 'elecktrum' and' obsessivelyodd' works. I need to get it out of my system!**

**Okay, long AN (for the tiny chapter) over. Review if you liked. Review if you didn't!**


	8. The Skilled Island of Kyoshi

**Lightning Can Be Warm**

**Chapter 8**

**AN: Wow, there was a drop in response. I need to write more cliffhangers it seems. I'm afraid I'm not a fan of this chapter after all the effort I put into it. I forced it out for you guys, so it seems rather substandard as a result. Warning, this chapter may get slightly adult; this story is a T for a reason. Suki and Kyoshi Island are VERY different to canon. With Zuko and Azula in war chambers and meetings, the war has upped its game.**

Ty Lee perched on top of Appa's head next to Aang. The area was silent. To Ty Lee, this was eerie, coming from a house of seven children and the bustling Fire Nation, the wind whipping past them all was scary. So she started talking.

"How does your flying work Aang?" she asked. His pensive face burst into a smile, he then grabbed his glider, flipped it open and dived off Appa. Ty Lee gripped the reins and watched in delight as he whooped and the air was filled with noise again. Ty Lee could almost hear the air rejoicing.

"How does that work?' asked Sokka, from where he was sitting. He was slowly sewing his trousers back together in a rather crude manner.

Aang grinned and swooped over the saddle, still gliding. "With my bending, I funnel the wind underneath the wings. This supports the wings and makes them, light enough to fly. Air benders make currents with our bending, but the natural air currents are much more fun to ride."

Sokka smiled. 'So how does the glider help? Wouldn't you technically already be able to do that without it?"

Aang looked momentarily confused, before composing himself quickly. "Well, it's to help gain momentum. You'd need an extraordinary amount of power to fly without a glider, especially for long periods at a time because your body is so much more difficult to support than a glider. It's also more streamlined."

Sokka threw his hands up in the air, discarding the thread and needle, leading the trousers to rip once more. "But that makes no sense! You're still supporting your body when you use a glider! If anything, it would be heavier to support and would exert more energy! It's confusing me!"

He then noticed the trousers and swore violently.

Katara hit him before grabbing the trousers with a sigh. "You really should let me do things like this. You might be wrong about most stereotypes but not all of them. I am STILL better at sewing than you ever were and ever will be."

Mai leant forwards from where she was lounging with Zuko in gloomy silence at the back of the saddle. "And Sokka? It won't make sense. Bending in general doesn't make sense. I mean, how is instant combustion logical? There is no fuel and usually no heat either, which are the two key components to most usual fires."

Sokka shook his head. "No, firebending could make sense. Fuel is really volatile and when you set fire to a fuel, it's the gas that catches fire first before it spreads to the solid or liquid. But the heat is still a dilemma."

Zuko shook his head in bemusement. "I'm afraid I agree with Mai. Bending is bending. You can't explain it. You just have to believe."

Aang had flown away from the conversation and came back to them very quickly. "Guys, I found the island we're looking for!"

Azula looked at him with a sneer. 'I didn't even know we were looking for one!". But Aang brushed it off impatiently. "Elephant Koi! And the most delicious berries I've ever tasted!"

"Is Elephant Koi food?" asked Sokka, looking hungry.

Aang looked horrified. "Of course not! You ride them!"

"We really can't afford another detour..." said Zuko, sensibly.

"But we need more food!" said Ty Lee, "We can't survive on air, and at the rate we're going, all of the food will be gone by tomorrow. There should be a small town on the island. We should buy some food from there."

There was a speechless silence as everyone turned to look at Ty Lee. 'What?" she asked. "I did stay with a circus for two years! I know about roughing it and how to get supplies and food. I'm not stupid, despite my appearance!" she said indignantly.

"Right then. We're landing on the island!" said Aang cheerfully and almost instinctively, Appa started losing height. Sokka sighed as they descended and Ty Lee grinned as she jumped off Appa with a light spring as soon as they were within 10 feet of the ground.

"Show off," muttered Azula with a grumble before springing off Appa with a hop.

Aang meanwhile, was shrugging off his clothes and running towards the water. He laughed with triumph and hopped anxiously at the cold water before swimming out towards the sea. 'Watch me Katara!" he yelled as he swam out towards the main bay.

As soon as Zuko saw Aang was occupied, he sprung into action and grabbed the map from one of the saddle bags with a frown. "I have to see what island this is on. There are so many places that could be potentially harmful to people. There are cannibals on some of the smaller islands nowadays." He said to a curious Sokka. "And put some trousers on! It's too odd." Sokka scowled and grabbed a pair from the saddlebag as Zuko examined the map.

Mai watched from the side, feeling more bored than ever.

Zuko suddenly turned paler than usual and his eyes widened impossibly. "We need to get off the island now, supplies be damned; we're on Ky—"

THUNK! Zuko dropped to the ground like a fly and before Mai could retaliate, she too was knocked out and sent sprawling.

(X)

Ty Lee blinked as she awoke, her vision swimming as her eyesight adjusted to the dark room beneath the thinly veiled blindfold over her eyes.

"Hello?' she called out and someone next to her sighed. "Thank you, another conscious person!" said Azula , sounding annoyed. "Are your ropes looser than ours?' she asked Ty Lee and Ty Lee finally noticed the awkward position they were in. Her arms were pulled behind her and tied to a mortar stone that she had seen in traditional Earth Kingdom villages. Azula was tied next to her and they were in a circle because someone was tied next to her, curving away from her.

"Yeah," interjected Sokka from wherever he was, "All of us are tied up so tightly, our circulation has probably been stopped!" he said dramatically.

"Don't be a fool Sokka," said Zuko wearily, "We'd be dead long back if our circulation had stopped."

'You haven't anything sharp on you?" asked Azula cutting over Sokka's remark.

Ty Lee shook her head, then remembered Azula couldn't see her. "No, you're mistaking me for Mai. She has a number of sharp objects on her. Hidden in her clothes, the likes of that." said Ty Lee, pulling a face.

Azula sounded irritated. "Sokka, you're right on the end, can you tell who's next to you?"

Ty Lee heard some shuffling and muffled swearing before Sokka answered. "Mai. Her buns are now poking right into my face and I can't get rid of them." Azula snorted and Ty Lee could hear Zuko muttering angrily.

"Well then, wake her up!" said Ty Lee, impatiently.

There was some more shuffling and shaking from the mortar which wrenched Ty Lee's wrists backwards and forwards.

"Hurry up Sokka! It can't be that hard to wake her up!" said Azula, an irritated tone filling her voice.

"I'd like to see you try! She's completely unconscious. Nothing stronger than water could wake her up."

Ty Lee heard silence then a snigger from Zuko which turned into full out howling laughter.

"Zuko? asked Ty Lee nervously.

"Soh-kka ," he gasped between laughs, "Tickle her stomach. Or pinch it."

There was a pause then Sokka slowly and clearly said, "I-am-tied-to-the-mortar-like-you. I-can't-tickle-her-because-I-am-bound-as-tightly-as-you-are."

Azula laughed now. "So we're stuck."

"No; no, we are not." said Mai's dry voice.

"Mai!" Ty Lee gasped.

"Good, you're finally awake. Have you got any weapons that are easily accessible to cut the ropes?" asked Azula, practically.

"No." said Mai after a moment's pause. "All my hand holsters and leg holsters are empty and the weapons in my clothing are sewn in. As my hands are tied, I cannot access them. Whoever these warriors are, they are very skilled; they ambushed us in near silence, tied us up effectively and blindfolded us and they removed all of our weapons."

"So what do we do?" asked Sokka quietly after a pause.

Ty Lee felt Azula shrug next to her. "I don't know. If Aang were awake, he could airbend us out, but we don't even know if he's in with us."

"He is." said Mai shortly. "He's drooling on my shoulder. I can tell because he is bald. Which I still think is an abomination of nature. Children should not be bald."

"Which means I'm next to Katara—"

Ty Lee was interrupted by a shaft of light and a large bucket of cold water thrown onto the gang.

Ty Lee spat out a mouthful of water and sighed as she felt her clothes turn nearly transparent. She only hoped whoever captured her wouldn't spend too much time staring at her bindings.

"Who are you and why are you on Kyoshi Island?" asked a high pitched voice.

"Wait...you're girls?" asked Sokka. Ty Lee heard a thwacking sound and winced. She thought Sokka had learnt his lesson yesterday.

"Do not make the mistake of underestimating us!" hissed the same voice and Ty Lee heard a rasp in the voice. Ty Lee shut her eyes and concentrated on the girl's aura. Sulphur...the shade of torment and pain. This was one troubled girl. It was prickled with grey, which meant frequency to anger and depressing thoughts. Ty Lee had seen plenty of that during her childhood; she could see the signs as clear as anyone. This girl was seriously messed up and needed help. _As do half of the world now...helping one person won't do much to the overall aura of the world..._

Ty Lee batted away the dark thoughts. Now her aura would be infected by grey, if she wasn't careful.

"We didn't want any trouble." came Aang's voice, unsure and if Ty Lee strained; slightly scared. "We just wanted some more supplies and I wanted to ride the Elephant Koi. This used to be a good spot; right?"

"Where have you been living, under a rock? No one has come to Kyoshi Island for fun in 100 years. There is no fun now. This is the war, and it's survival." said the girl.

"Everyone should be able to have fun, no matter the situation!" said Aang.

Ty Lee felt like hitting her head, this was obviously not the time to talk about fun; did this child have no sense of survival tactics?

There was another wet thwack and Ty Lee winced. This time someone (probably Zuko) had hit their head hard against the mortar stone they seemed to be tied to.

The girl just laughed; not a nice sound but harsh and weary. "There IS no fun child. Get that into your thick head. Especially not on Kyoshi Island."

"Waittaminute." said Aang. Ty Lee wondered what more there was to say. "Did you say this island was called Kyoshi Island?"

Someone (definitely Zuko) hit their head against the pole again and Ty Lee stifled a groan. Was Aang really that deaf?

There was no answer and Ty Lee surmised that this question wasn't worth answering.

"I knew Kyoshi!" said Aang.

"Hehe...BWAHAHAHAHA!" Ty Lee winced, this was full out sarcastic laughing and Ty Lee had been on the end of it far too often to feel anything but pity for Aang.

"Please, Avatar Kyoshi was here over 400 years ago. You're just a kid, how could YOU know her?"

"I'm the Avatar!" said Aang, just a little bit of abashment in it. To stop Aang from getting another round of laughter, Ty Lee cut in.

"Airbend. Show her, Aang!" said Ty Lee, hoping she made her point.

When Ty Lee heard a swoosh, Ty Lee knew that Aang had airbended and to her surprise, her blindfold fell off immediately and slowly, the rope snapped in half, untying them all.

The girl she saw now was lank and lean. Her short red hair hung limply around her face which was covered by white face-paint with lurid red eyepaint. She looked like some of the prostitutes Ty lee had seen in other Earth Kingdom towns where they had performed with the bright white paint to cover the poor girl. She wore a green dress and armour. Ty Lee frowned, it wasn't of a great quality, if she went into battle she was sure to get injured as the only protection was around her chest cavities and not her arms, legs or head. And sure enough, there was a bloodstained bandage wrapped around her arm.

"But the Avatar left us. Abandoned us..." said the girl, her voice sounding childish and lonesome.

"He didn't mean to!" said Katara, her voice indignant.

"But he did!" said the girl with venom. "Do you know how many children have lost parents because the 'almighty' Avatar wasn't there to save us?"

"It shouldn't be his job to deal with every part of the world. The Avatar's duty is the spirits and keeping balance, not solving every island's quarrels." said Zuko acidly, "And anyway, the war doesn't affect you, does it? Kyoshi have been neutral since the war began and have remained neutral."

Her eyes focused upon Zuko and her painted lips drew up into a bitter smirk. "And you would know, wouldn't you? Fire Nation." Her words were laced with contempt and were drawn out.

"And so what if we are? Does every member of the archipelago have to be branded 'good' or 'bad'? The Earth Kingdom hasn't had that done to them. We're just refugees travelling with the Avatar because it's safer than staying at home."

Ty Lee turned to Mai, keeping her face schooled into disinterest. The fluent lying was surprising; usually that was Azula's brand of deception. But as Ty Lee's eyes flickered to Azula, she understood. Azula was in no fit state to do any kind of lying. She seemed to be covered in blue-black bruises and her leg was openly bleeding. But her eyes were burning from defiance despite her sitting position and arms attempting to staunch the bleeding.

"Please, don't be ridiculous. I'm not stupid. The clothes you are wearing are obviously nobles' clothing. Fine quality fabric, gold embroidery, that's a rich noble's clothing. And if you tell me I'm lying; Kyoshi Island is the main clothing manufacturer for nobility. Even the Fire Nation should know that." Said the girl, her voice hard.

"Shouldn't my word to vouch for them be enough?" asked Aang, his voice growing hard too.

"Please, you're a child. Even if you are the Avatar, power isn't everything. We of all people should know that. We've been on siege for three years. This little island where hardly any food grows and our main source of income is exportation. But we survived by skill. And cunning. Something you aren't familiar with, I think." She said, an air of smugness permeating her voice.

"Don't be smug. I took at least four of you down before you got me," said Azula smoothly "And I wouldn't be so sure of your power at the moment. There's seven of us and one of you. We're untied and all of us can fight."

"Except she's not alone..." said a voice and several people came in through the doors. All of whom were girls and dressed in the uniform of the lank girl. Some had horrific injuries and Ty Lee winced at the burn mark against one's hands and the blood-splattered patch covering one's eye.

"Now, what's to say you aren't spies?" said the girl.

"What need would there be? The Fire Nation comes with six boats full of men next month. There's no way you could stand against that, despite your talents for espionage and surprise." said Azula, looking bored as she said it but Ty Lee could only admire her cunning. In displacing that titbit, she not only assuaged the villagers concerns or their being spies but distracted them too and made the whole company seem trustworthy. Ty Lee saw only one flaw with that plan and hoped it wouldn't be brought up amidst the girls' worries and gasps of horror.

"What more do you know? If you know of this battle in a month's time, surely you know about more recent battles or battles to come? Why not tell us about those while you're at it?"

Damn, this girl was good. Ty Lee wasn't sure how Azula was about to come out of that, especially as everyone jeered and shouted and generally made clamour until Aang sent a burst of air outwards.

"Enough!" he shouted. "I trust these people with my life. It is now up to you whether you trust us and let us recoup for a few more days or get us supplies at let us leave."

The girl looked at him, her eyes narrowed in anger before they smoothed out and turned to her comrades. "Friends, what say you? Do we trust them or send them out?"

Another girl with longer black hair, escaping a topknot stepped forwards. "The Avatar and his friends have shown us no ill manner until we attacked them. I say we let them stay. They seem wise; their counsel will be welcome since Oyagi's departure to the Spirit World." She said, her voice in an odd rhythm and pacing.

Katara's eyes lit. "You are Water Tribe?" she asked the girl and the girl looked away. "Yes. Half Water Tribe. Before they stopped trading with us three years ago. Now, I am a Kyoshi Warrior and proud of it. Suki," the girl said suddenly turning to address the red-headed girl, "Let go of your pride and anger and let them in. It isn't their fault we no longer have adults with power in the village anymore. They're tired and the girl in red's bleeding. It'll get infected. Come on, that's what killed Oyagi."

Suki, as that was now what the red-head was called, turned her head away and nodded stiffly. "Treat them and give them food. If there are rooms to spare in the village, give it to them. Spare no expenses." She said before abruptly walking out.

Ty Lee threw a look to Zuko, who shrugged. This was an unexpected turn in events.

(X)

Ty Lee stared at the food that was set out in front of them. It was not a fitting meal at all. "Sweets?" she asked.

The man in blue shrugged. "It's all we have left. The necessities are mostly depleted. Unless you want some fish with that, we haven't much else."

Ty Lee felt herself pull a face and she saw Azula agree. South Pole fish reeked. Badly.

"What's wrong with fish?" asked Katara, as she sniffed the food experimentally.

"Fish and sweets? I think not. That's more than likely to give you indigestion." said Zuko, lighting a flame with his finger and toasting the sweet before finding it satisfactory and eating it.

Aang rolled his eyes. "At the temple, we used to eat whatever we could find. Ginger with Fruit Pie, salad with fire flakes, just not meat." He said, happily chewing the delicacies.

"Really?" said Azula, walking in, her leg severely bandaged, wearing dark blue trousers and scuffed, brown boots instead of her bloodstained and ripped clothes. "It sounds horrific. But once you're done eating, they '_summon_' us to the '_war-room_'. Some desolate, dark room somewhere I expe—Ow!" she scowled as Zuko threw a large sweet at her head.

"Eat, you sissy. They can wait. You must be famished. Blood loss and all. I wouldn't want you to get an infection or lose luster. You could be sun-deprived for all we know."

Azula threw him a look of deep disdain before eating the offending projectile. Her eyes widened. "These _are_ good!" she said, sitting down and filling her plate delicately, but quickly.

Sokka laughed and leant back while Katara stifled laughter. Even Mai was smiling at the fast pace of eating from Azula. Ty Lee smiled, everything was okay for now.

(X)

"So six ships of troops would mean how many soldiers?" asked Suki, her make-up now barely existent as Mai efficiently drew a map of the land around Kyoshi with added information round the sides and colours.

"Around 40 score. Quite a few soldiers; benders or not..." said Zuko absentmindedly scanning the inventory reports.

Azula on the other hand, was reading the fighting styles and techniques.

They both glanced at each other, made a few faces and Zuko turned to Suki with an apologetic smile on his face.

"You won't be able to last a siege. Not a chance. You don't have enough supplies and you have next to no opportunities to sell and products, let alone make them. And forget trying to fight 800 people. Either you surrender or you evacuate. Only two choices, unless you're contemplating suicide."

Suki scowled. "No way whatsoever?" she asked, leaning against the tapestry of Avatar Kyoshi in the old house that used to belong to her. All of Kyoshi's belongings were scattered along the wall and Katara was reading the old Avatar's journal.

"None." said Azula simply.

"Surely there could be some way..." said Sokka, grabbing the map from Mai as she finished the last touches to it, twisting it round in odd shapes and angles. "They are stealthy people. If they ambushed us...they are good. Shouldn't we put that to use?" asked Sokka, giving the map back to Mai as she glared at him.

"Yes, but a team of 15 cannot ambush 800 people, let alone capture them." said Zuko.

"Who said they had to be captured?" asked Suki, her painted smirk, oozing wrongness to Ty Lee. Even Azula didn't relish killing people she didn't know or didn't have a grudge on.

Zuko looked disgusted. "You capture soldiers when they have done no wrong to you. You take prisoners, you bargain—

"That's it!" said Sokka, looking excited. "Hostages and bargaining! You kidnap someone important, leave a ransom note and they'll leave!"

Azula's eyebrows rose. "That would be a good plan if you weren't dealing with General Hoy-Lin. His troops hate him and would be more than happy to be rid of him. They would wreak more havoc upon the island in their happiness and it would be anarchy. I've more than suspected that he works for the Earth Kingdom in secret, so I am unable to give that plan the all-clear."

Suki threw Azula a suspicious look before nodding. "Thank you, we'll take that all into consideration. Have a good stay- bye, bye!" she blathered, all the while pushing them towards the door, snatching the map out of Mai's hand before slamming the door in their faces.

"There's gratefulness for you," said Ty Lee, getting angry inside. They didn't have to help the islanders, but they had. And that was their reward? Disgraceful.

Aang sighed. "Can we please get our supplies and go now? This island gives me the creeps. It used to be lovely here. The grass was always green and their fishing industry bloomed. All the monks came here for clothing, especially from the Southern Air Temple. It's weird how things change." He said, sounding wistful.

Ty Lee put her arm around Aang. "It'll be alright. Anyway, it's drawing close to evening, we might as well stay. I know that I need a bath. I don't know about you guys!"

Zuko barked a laugh and they headed back to the small house they shared for the night.

(X)

Zuko sighed as he collapsed into bed. Another child had run away screaming when he had popped into the small gathering house to ask where the stream was. He looked down at the water, illuminated by the light of the half moon. He touched his scar gingerly. It didn't hurt anymore, but he was more ashamed of it now than ever.

He heard a light gust of unnatural breeze behind him and sighed. 'What is it Aang?"

Aang looked at him. "You and Azula and maybe even Sokka knew what you were doing in there. I didn't. Everyone had a purpose in that room, apart from me. What do I do, Zuko? Apart from tell people to get along? All I am is a figurehead. And I need to do something, not just sit here and wait till we get to the North Pole." Aang flopped down beside Zuko and Zuko couldn't help but feel a modicum of pity.

"Then do something about it. Find something to do, a certain purpose to achieve. You know why the Fire Nation has been winning for so long? We plan. We make targets and goals to achieve in a time limit. We use our resources and use them efficiently. Everybody does something, so it gets done faster. Apart from royalty, we don't really have a hierarchy by blood. You prove yourself by what you do and what you make; not who your father was or your family is. But who they are sticks...oho, it sticks..."

Aang put his hand on his shoulder. "I had a friend like you once. His name was Kuzon. Kuzon of Ember Island. I don't know if that still exists, but you remind me of him. He was the driving force to how all of my childhood schemes worked. Him, me and Bumi: we were the best team in ages! We used to explore every lead and any kind of fun! I guess people did get annoyed with us, but it was possibly the best part of my life."

Aang looked away and Zuko managed a weak smile. He did have to bathe quite desperately. Ty Lee, Katara and Azula had claimed the hot water inside the house so...

Moments later both Aang and Zuko were spluttering and splashing each other in the cold stream, the moment of emotion long forgotten in their to wash and get warm once more. Zuko might have wanted hot water, but even he wasn't about to try and attempt to heat the whole stream.

(X)

Ty Lee rubbed her wet hair down before swiftly tying it into a topknot, which she had so loathed as a child.

She then walked across the street to the girl, Suki's house (which she had deduced from the village gathering house). Ty Lee knocked on the door and waited. The door opened to a girl without any make-up on, her short straggly hair curling and four vivid red scars cut across her cheek into a M. Murderer.

Ty Lee hid her wince and merely asked whether she was allowed inside. The door slammed in her face.

Ty Lee sighed and knocked again. The door opened again then almost shut, if it wasn't for Ty Lee's foot.

"I can keep this up all night. Ask Mai."

The door was slammed into Ty Lee's face and Ty Lee's foot was wedged out. She knocked once more, but the door did not open. The window, however, did and Suki seemed to have a bucket - Abandoning all dignity, Ty Lee launched into a sporadic cartwheel to get out of the splash zone. She had just washed; she had no wish to yet again!

"Suki, come on! I only want to talk to you. You're hurt inside. Let me help. I'm a specialist in aura reading."

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" said Suki, her voice dangerous. In the dim light that cam from inside the house, Suki was silhouetted and Ty Lee saw the dangerous glimmer of a knife. That was wasn't good.

"Please! I only want to help." Said Ty lee.

"Why not help others? There are plenty of war-stricken children here who saw their parents burned and slaughtered in front of their very eyes. They need care more than I do. I'm coping!" said Suki.

"But you aren't. I thought Azula was disturbing as a child; but you're worse. You think you're fine, but you aren't. You've lost the ability to feel, because it hurts. Feeling emotions hurts, but it's those children out there crying who are natural. You aren't. Please let me help."

There was silence and the window shut. Ty Lee sighed and walked away. There were some people you couldn't help.

She stared as her dim shadow suddenly became much brighter against a bright light. Ty Lee whirled around. Suki was at the open door, her face tormented. "You can help me?" she asked, her voice quiet and childlike.

Ty Lee nodded and Suki opened the door wider and Ty Lee entered.

(X)

Azula smiled and relaxed back against the tub of hot water. She hadn't enjoyed anything relaxing or clean since they had embarked on their journey. Fire Nation ship heating was often faulty despite their constant engineering to fix them and it was far too cold in the South Pole to bathe properly. Azula sighed, she missed heat. It was far too cold at the poles. The Water Tribe had big furry parkas and Aang seemed oblivious to the temperature. She supposed the constant cheerfulness fueled that. She couldn't read Zuko as well as she could before he had been scarred. Usually, she could tell everything from his facial expression; he had never been very good at hiding what he felt like, he was like fire embodied, with all of its passion. However, the large scarring made it tricky to guess exactly what emotion he was feeling.

"Azula, are you done with the tub yet?" asked the Water Tribe girl.

Azula sighed. "Yes Katara, I'll be done in a few minutes." She hated having to share things. That was one good thing about being at home. The bad thing was her father. And the Fire Nation army that were constantly around, no matter what she did. Azula pulled herself out of the tub and dried herself before putting on the brand new clothes. She had never realized how much she hated the colour blue before. She pulled her wet hair into a sopping topknot and came out the room stiffly.

On the pallets were Mai and Katara avidly talking together? Azula's eyebrows rose. This was new. "What's the topic conversation?" asked Azula, flopping onto Ty Lee's pallet.

"Travel plan." said Katara, "Mai's brought up the question of how wise it is to let Aang be in charge of our destinations. I mean, he brought us here to ride Elephant Koi. He's not the most focused person on Earth."

Azula almost bent over double. On yesterday's flight, Aang had changed topics five times in the space of a minute, not letting anyone else get a word in. She knew Aang's flighty tendencies. "Okay, I understand what you point is. What's your solution? Telling the kid he can't steer the giant beast? It'll crush his heart. Then he won't have the will to carry on. Which will be even worse than flighty distracted kid."

"I know!" said Katara, "We'll get Sokka to draw a map with a route. He loves planning things, it'll be okay!"

"Why d'you assume I'll do it?" asked Sokka sleepily from the corner. He was inside his pallet, leaning against the wall, looking tired.

"Oh, come on! Do you really want to deal with a depressed Aang? We can't keep detouring like this, or we'll never get to the North Pole." exclaimed Katara.

"Not my problem..." he murmured. "I'm not the one who wants to learn water-bending. Why don't you make the plan? After all, girls are SO superior!" he said sarcastically. "Leave me alone. I need sleep. I haven't been able to get any for the past few days. Too cold."

Azula smirked and set the bottom of the pallet smoking, Sokka immediately leapt out, quickly dousing the fire with his blanket. He looked rather terrified and his clothes were smoking. "Now that you're more... awake. How about we discuss a suitable route?" asked Azula, a smile curving her lips.

(X)

Ty Lee settled Suki down in a chair and told her to wait. After quickly raiding her kitchen for some spices and herb essences, Ty Lee tossed large amounts of them onto the fire. A plume of scented smoke wafted around the room.

"If you set my house on fire, I will kill you. Don't think I've forgotten that you're Fire Nation." warned Suki, the hard edge to her voice, returned.

"I can't firebend, silly!" said Ty Lee cartwheeling over towards Suki from the fire. "Now relax. And give me a smile."

Suki, if that was even possible, seemed to tense even more and her ghastly attempt at a smile made Ty Lee whimper. "This ain't gonna work," Ty Lee uttered under her breath, her eyes still wide and her breath frantic as Suki scowled at her again.

Ty Lee's face rumpled. "I'm sorry about this. You won't feel anything, promise!" said Ty Lee and with four quick jabs, Suki was knocked out. Her long limbs were sprawled everywhere and her short, limp hair drooped over Suki's face.

With that, Ty Lee settled down. She had known the circus peoples since she was four. Her parents had never been able to keep track of seven children and 'in-the-middle-Ty Lee' was always counted out. She had grown up on the circus, learning how to cartwheel and other tricks. The circus peoples were gypsies, nomads. She supposed they were the equivalent to the Air Nomads. The world needed balance somehow, and there were a LOT of homeless people with the war around. She had also seen strong gusts of wind around the camp, especially when tempers were high, but Ty Lee had never mentioned those. Silence was a virtue.

It was here she had learned Varmakalai among other arts from the old gypsy mother. She said her name was Ulsurina but most just called her Grandmother. No one seemed to know how old she was and she was always hidden inside a tent, out of sight of the Fire Nation military who often watched the circus shows. The old lady had taught her a way to bend chi as well as block it. And it was this method Ty Lee sat down to do. Ty Lee shut her eyes and placed her hand over Suki's Earth chakra.

A monkey spirit sat here in front of her looking cranky. "You again?" it asked.

Ty Lee nodded, she daren't speak in case it ranted at her for hours on end like her first meeting with it. Grandmother had understandably been unimpressed.

"Well then, I suppose you must know what you are doing?" it asked.

Ty Lee nodded and the monkey spirit let her pass into Suki's memories.

_What are you afraid of? _Ty Lee asked. Suki's brain replied with images of carnage and her mother's rape in front of her. Ty Lee winced as the Fire Nation man advanced upon Younger Suki before a fan was thrown into the man's stomach. Young Suki turned around and another lady with bright red lips and eyepaint smiled at her. "You'd do well to run..."

Younger Suki ran, before she was confronted with a troop of soldiers. The fan lady stepped forward and gestured for Younger Suki to run down a side alleyway. As she ran, the beam of a house fell down in front of her, aflame and spitting sparks with a vengeance. Suki turned around and a masked Fire Nation man came closer towards her and grabbed her—

Ty Lee wrenched away from Suki's worst memory and rocked herself gently. No child should have had to have seen that or been violated that way. No wonder Suki was so messed up. She wasn't sure how she'd be able to convince Suki to let go and forgive that memory. Ty Lee knew that if it had happened to her, she would have never forgiven the man who had done that to her.

Ty Lee shook her head; this was no time for philosophy. She had to plough on. The second chakra of Water would be more difficult to access but Ty Lee was not going to be deterred. Ty Lee placed her hand on the small of Suki back and waited for Suki's brain to acknowledge her. _What are you guilty of?_

It seemed there was nothing, but Ty Lee would not let that go. Everyone felt guilty for _something_! Ty Lee ruthlessly plunged downwards into the caverns of Suki's mind. There! Ty Lee pulled it closer upwards and let the memory wash over her.

Suki was older now, with gold encrusted fans in her hand and a green dress in more pristine condition than it was now. She was killing men left, right and centre and there was a child. Little more than Aang's age in armour, looking terrified. And what did Suki do? Kill him. Ty Lee watched the blood pour down Suki's katana before she kept moving to kill others. Ty Lee pulled herself out, she did not want to see more.

Ty Lee couldn't forgive Suki for her actions, but maybe Suki would be able to forgive herself? Ty Lee sighed; it wasn't her job to solve Suki's problems. All she had to do was bring the memories to the surface and hope that Suki would sort them out herself.

The third chakra of Fire was on Suki's stomach. Ty Lee placed her hand there and delved deep. _What are you ashamed of?_ There were plenty of memories here. Ty Lee dived for the deepest memory of shame.

Suki stood on a stone. In front of her an old man with a beard. He declared, _"Suki, for the murder of Lim Sung and Lim Turin, you will be required to fight for our community until the day you die. You place Kyoshi first and your life last!"_

"_But Oyagi! They were Fire Nation! They deserved to die!" _Younger Suki protested. Ty Lee sighed as the trial went on and she pulled herself out. Murder? Of two old people for formerly being Fire Nation? If they ever won the war against Ozai, they would still have a lot more work to do on the hearts and loyalties of people. She wasn't sure how Suki was going to repent for the sins she had committed, but she hoped the freed chakras would help stabilize Suki.

The Air Chakra was fourth and Ty Lee placed her hand on the heart of Suki and delved into her memories. _What do you grieve for?_ Suki answered that with relative ease. Her parents. The girl with the fan who'd saved her life. Her sister and her friends in the Kyoshi warriors. And most of all, the fact that to atone for murder, she had to commit more murder. Ty Lee found tears welling in her eyes as she pulled herself out. She did care. She did love. It was okay, she wasn't going to go crazy psycho on them. She had just lost the path to moksha, not her humanity.

Ty Lee smiled as she reached towards Suki's throat and touched the fifth chakra of sound. _What lies do you tell yourself? _Ty Lee was swamped by so many she couldn't breathe. She pulled herself out of Suki's mind, her eyes wide and breath heavy. She hoped that Suki could deal with that, because she sure as hell couldn't. What scared her the most was the one thought that resounded above all the others was that the Fire Nation must die. Ty Lee covered her mouth and was about to reach for Suki's forehead when she heard screaming and the crackling of flames. This wasn't good. How were they supposed to hide from the Fire Nation, escape off the island and save the islanders without any of the Fire Nation quartet being spotted?

**AN: You guessed it, I'm evil. Merry Christmas (if it can be call Christmas this late.)/Happy Holidays/ Happy Hanukkah/ or any kind of Happy New Year (lunar or solar calender) I'll try and get out the next chapter faster, but I've been doing so many in-depth character analyses, my head will explode if I do much more with Suki. I hope you guys will review because I feed on reviews. And do tell me if there are any mistakes in spelling, grammar, etc. I'm too tired to catch them all and I want you all to get this somewhat close to Christmas. **

**Good Night!**


	9. The Gambit of Separation

**Lightning Can be Warm**

**Chapter 9**

**The Gambit of Separation**

**AN: Okay, I'm back! This is a longer update (which is why it's late). I'm so glad I have so many great reviewers and watchers! Thanks so much! The next chapter will be up really late, because I want to adjust Chapter 3 a little. Also, this chapter is going to skip between scenes quite a lot. I'm trying to emulate the style of an Avatar episode, but I've watched them, and they jump around a LOT! So, this chapter will jump a lot. If you don't like it, do tell me in a review, and I won't do it again, it's just an effect of speed. T for language! Zuko riles up Katara a bit too much. **

_Ty Lee covered her mouth and was about to reach for Suki's forehead when she heard screaming and the crackling of flames. This wasn't good. How were they supposed to hide from the Fire Nation, escape off the island and save the islanders without any of the Fire Nation quartet being spotted?_

Ty Lee whimpered and wrung her hands. If she woke up Suki now, her chakras would be blocked for a huge amount of time. However, she and the others couldn't help the rest of the islanders, because it was imperative they weren't seen. They had to keep out of sight, or else the plan wouldn't work. Suki and her warriors were the only ones who could defend the island without it seeming strange. Hating herself for it, Ty Lee pulled Suki out of her unconscious state. Suki sat up, looking dazed and confused.

"What, is it over already?" she asked, looking woozy.

Ty Lee shook her head miserably, glancing outside the window at the small blaze from near the beach. That wasn't good. "I'm so sorry. It isn't over. Your island's being attacked by the Fire Nation. I had to wake you up."

Suki immediately snapped to attention. 'What! You said they were coming next month!"

"If you haven't noticed, we're slightly out of touch from society!" shouted Ty Lee!

"Well I expected you to be able to count, having taken over half of the world!" screeched Suki.

(X)

Azula's head snapped towards the window. She had felt fire tugging on her chi. A man-made fire. Zuko had no reason to reveal himself to the islanders as a firebender and the other two girls were without firebending. There were firebenders on this island, which was not a type of news that the cheerfully chatting Katara would want to hear. But it was a necessary truth.

"There are firebenders here." Azula said blandly and calmly.

Mai looked annoyed. "Ones who'll know us?"

"Most likely. After all, who doesn't know the face of the Crown Prince and Princess of the Fire Nation?" Azula said bitterly and Sokka swore angrily.

"What do we do?" asked Katara, looking scared.

"We wait," said Sokka, lifting up a bag, "And we pack for an emergency escape. I have a feeling that a peaceful night's rest is out of the question." He grumbled the last sentence, and Azula hid a smile. The imbecile was funny at times, especially when he was trying to be serious.

(X)

Zuko looked out down the river as he pulled on the last of his many layers. There was a slight tug on his chi, but his memory was foggy and he couldn't quite remember what it meant, apart from trouble. He felt uneasy. Something wasn't right.

"Aang?" he called out to the trees and the cheerful monk sauntered out of a small grove.

"What is it Zuko?" he asked, his face falling as he saw Zuko's worried face.

"Something's not right. Get into the air, but hide yourself a little and tell me what you see."

Aang nodded and floated up the tree like there wasn't a force like gravity. Zuko heard a gasp and Aang floated back down again, his face pale.

"Someone's burning the beach!"

(X)

"Of course I can count! Even with the extra days sliced off, the navy is still really early. It doesn't make sense. Please Suki, we can't be seen, that would create more trouble than good." pleaded Ty Lee as Suki darted round the room, wearing her armour as fast as possible. Suki didn't bother with the paint, and rightly so.  
"Fine!" spat Suki. "I'll cover you along with the rest. Get off my island and don't come back!"

Ty Lee gave her a serious look. "Now isn't that just a bit conceited Suki? It's hardly your island." And with that, Ty Lee opened the window and somersaulted out, landing perfectly on her toes.

Coming out of a house close by, were more Kyoshi Island warriors, more bandaged and bruised than ever. Ty Lee's heart went out to them but she had no time to rest. Ty Lee sprinted as fast as she could towards where Appa was resting inside the huge barn. There were piles of hay draped everywhere and a large trough of water in the corner. Several ostrich-horses cowered in the corner of the barn, away from Appa as possible. He was sleeping lazily near the entrance and the lemur was drooped over the saddle.

"Come on Appa! Wake up!" she hissed. The sky-bison grunted at turned over. Ty Lee scowled angrily and punched its side. "NO TIME! GET UP!" she shouted angrily and the sky bison groaned and got up. The lemur screeched angrily and curled around her shoulders.

"Wow Ty Lee, I wasn't aware you could be so angry," said Mai dryly as she and Sokka sprinted inside.

Sokka vaulted onto Appa and secured the supplies and Appa's saddle. Mai quickly climbed up his fur and Ty Lee hopped onto the sky-bison with a worried expression.

"Mai, where are the others?" she asked. They were missing nearly all of the others.

"Zuko and Aang are washing. They probably don't know the danger so Azula and Katara have gone to get them." said Sokka as he grabbed a set of fans from his knapsack.

Ty Lee felt shocked. "Sokka!" she said, looking annoyed.

"What?" he said. "Times are difficult. Weapons are hard to come by. And the girl on duty there just gave them to me. I can't help that I'm just so attractive."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Get a move on. We have to move the bison quickly without being seen. Ty Lee, keep him at a low height so he isn't immediately visible."

(X)

Aang was ready to soar upwards but Zuko grabbed the back of his top. "No Aang. We can't be seen. Especially not me."

Aang shoved off his hand angrily. "So don't be seen. I'm the Avatar, I _have_ to do something! I brought this to their island, I know I did!"

"What makes you think that?" Zuko asked. "We've barely been here a day. How could news pass so quickly, especially from this solitary island?"

Aang laughed bitterly, a sound which surprised Zuko. "You'd be surprised how fast news travelled in my time. Something that happened in the eastern temple reached our temple so quickly it was unbelievable. An hour or two, I believe, using air currents..." he said wistfully.

Zuko looked unimpressed. "You're the last airbender, remember? No more airbenders, no more using air currents."

Aang shook his head. "Non-benders could use them too. Gyatso demonstrated when Kuzon came over to the temples one day."

Zuko frowned. "I guess the knowledge must have died with the temples. Now it takes at least a day or more. But that's beside the point! You can't fly to help them! You'll get us all caught—"

At that point, Katara stumbled through towards them. Azula strode through the bushes like they were non-existent, close behind her.

"Wrong as per usual, Zuzu. You haven't seen who's leading the fire-benders." said Azula, an uncharacteristic frown on her face.

"Who?" asked Aang and Zuko in perfect tandem.

"Zhao," said Azula, both triumphant and bitter at this announcement. Zuko took a sharp intake of breath.

"That's not good." He said, sounding hollow.

Aang looked confused. "Who's Zhao?"

"A ruthless, clever man." said Azula, "He's a Captain in the Fire Nation Navy. He's risen ranks far too fast for my liking. Father has refused to debate his necessity. He has too much power, but it comes from his contacts and the people he knows rather than his own strengths. This attack is more than likely his idea. He's always been known for his...initiative." Aang frowned. 'That isn't good."

"You haven't heard the worst of it," said Katara, bending over to clutch feeling back in her legs.

"We really don't need more bad news!" exclaimed Aang.

"Uncle's with him. As are the rest of the crew." Azula said, pushing her fringe away from her face.

"Agni, this could not have come at a worse time!" exclaimed Zuko, punching a nearby tree.

"We have to have a showdown with Aang and the rest and they have to cunningly escape on Appa without us. We then have to then...correlate with Zhao, ditch him somewhere in the Earth Kingdom and rediscover Aang's trail." said Azula slowly, shuddering at the mention of going near Zhao.

"That makes sense," said Katara, standing up tall. "Now we just have to tell the others."

Azula shook her head. "Katara, you saw it out there. The Kyoshi warriors are getting slaughtered. We don't have time to tell the others if we want there to be survivors. Now if you don't want survivors..."

"Don't be disgusting!" said Aang and Katara in unison.

"Well then, we'll have to find a public place where Zhao can see us and fight the two of you there." said Azula calmly.

Katara groaned. "More running?" she said, "I'm just recovering from this one!"

Zuko looked amused. "You really need to get more fit. That kind of discrepancy in your personal health is a foresight that would get you killed in real battle and punished if you were in Fire Nation army," he said as they started jogging towards the centre of sudden bursts of light.

She looked up, her dark face flushed and sweaty. "If you haven't noticed, there's not exactly much of an area to practise running in the South Pole, nor is there a NEED to run!"

Zuko then sprinted towards the town centre and the moment he felt a strong tug on his chi that felt substantial, he turned round and pushed a fireball towards Katara. She scowled and deflected it with difficulty.

Zuko was unimpressed. "I'm an imperial firebender! I'm one of the best of my kind! How is that pathetic waterbending going to look like you're defeati—"

At that moment, Zuko was slapped with a strong spray of water and his hand was frozen in ice. He burst it nearly immediately and touched the sore spot.

"That hurt!" he said, sounding surprised. Katara made to whip him with more water but he easily evaporated it with a shot of red fire.

"Come on!" he yelled as they passed a firebender, "Can't you do any better than that, you waterbending slut!"

Katara puffed up with anger and her water whips got faster, but more erratic, barely hitting Zuko, instead, taking out nearby firebenders by 'accident'.

"How dare you!" she exclaimed.

Just as Zuko was about to retaliate, there was a large explosion and both were knocked off of their feet.

(X)

"What in Spirit's Name was that!" yelled Sokka. The three of them had been dismounting just away from the centre of the action when the Earth itself blew up, throwing Sokka to the floor and setting his hair on fire.

Mai extinguished her sleeve and Ty Lee stood up lightly, offering a hand to Sokka. "Something Aang and Azula concocted, no doubt." Said Mai quietly.

"You've seen this before?" asked Sokka as he felt his singed hair in dismay.

"Something of the sort, yes." said Mai. "Don't you remember, Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee shook her head, there were tears streaking her cheeks. "I don't want to talk about that day, Mai. Neither does Zuko. And Azula will never bring it up, because it was her one failure. The only reason you want to talk about it, is because you weren't there for the beginning. Now come on, we have to find them. Now."

Sokka nodded and they all started running. He fell hilariously behind. The other two turned around to look at him. "How slow can the Water Tribe get?"

"I'd like to see you hunt on ice!" he hissed.

Mai smirked. "Oh wait, we did."

"SHUT UP!" screamed Ty Lee. The other two stared at her in surprise. She looked away, embarrassed. "We haven't got time for faffing. They must be dying as we—"

Ty Lee's voice broke as she saw the inferno in front of her. The whole place was burning and there was small explosion from each house slowly. The sound was unbearable. And right in the centre of it was Azula punching with streaks of blue fire, an uncharacteristic bead of sweat running down her nose. The reason? She was fighting Aang in the Avatar State. And winning.

(X)

Azula felt a streak of sweat run down her face for the second time as she dodged a flurry of molten rock being thrown at her by the glowing avatar. This was a tougher match than Azula would like to admit and she was dangerously close to losing. She shot a huge bombardment of swift blue fire at him but it was deflected by his shield of air, as she had thought. This needed a more innovative way to look like she was winning before Aa—The Avatar came out of his infuriated state and escaped.

Luckily, the Avatar state seemed more than willing to cooperate with displays of huge power and destruction as they leapt from building to building, demonstrated by on the of the largest earthquakes Azula had seen, created by a previous Earthbender. Combined by one of the strongest lone fireballs she had made, it had created a shockwave, which Azula knew would affect the whole island, including Zhao and his troops.

Azula leapt from the rooftop of a building unto the broken and smouldering Avatar Kyoshi statue in the centre of the broken town. Aang was floating. And a harsh guttural voice came from his throat, that wasn't Aang's, instead infused with the voices of a thousand avatars.

"What is your purpose in this!" it demanded. Because that was an it. That was what the Fire Nation were afraid of. Not Aang. Not the child, the airbender with a cheerful, unpolluted outlook on life.

"Your death!" Azula shouted, lying through her teeth, lying with her soul and hoping that it would understand her true intentions. Hoping that Aang inside 'it' could remember the plan.

It smirked. "Prepare to meet yours instead!" it shouted and Azula grinned wryly as it sent an mixture of all four elements at her she stood still, as if frozen by shock and ducked at the exact last minute, throwing herself off the statue as if hit by the attack. She damaged the front of her vest with a quick blast of fire and lay there among the rubble of a smouldering town and waited.

(X)

Ty Lee screamed as Azula fell and ran towards her, but was restrained by Mai, who had already pinned Sokka to a building firmly.

"Azula doesn't die. She isn't dead. And you must keep your heads. BOTH of you." said Mai shortly.

"SHE WANTED AANG TO DIE!" Yelled Sokka as he struggled with the knives but Mai did nothing, merely leaned against a building and waited.

"No, she doesn't," said Mai after a pause, where the sounds of flickering flames resonated, "Azula is a selfish person and so will only do something to benefit herself. Killing the Avatar benefits her in no way. She's lying. And very well, if both of your reactions are to go by."

"That's not true!" said Ty Lee, hotly defending her childhood friends, "Azula cares about us!"

"But she comes first, does she not?" asked Mai. "We wait. This is a waiting game, and we will play it til the next gambit."

With that she pulled the knives out of Sokka's vest.

"Go find your sister then take her and Aang to Appa. The three of you leave. Tell Zuko to come here." Said Mai, her voice weary.

Sokka nodded and left. Ty Lee felt tears running down her face.

"This isn't an auspicious start," she choked out. Mai shrugged and put a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder. They waited.

(X)

Katara had immediately abandoned her fight with Zuko as she saw Aang and Azula showdown near the statue of Kysohi. Zuko had stayed in pursuit, playing his role to a T, shooting fire as he went. She ducked every one of them, keeping an eye on the confrontation. Her breath hitched as Azula fell and Aang seemed to lose the other-worldly energy and fall. Katara had run and run, ignoring the fallen Azula, straight to the boy who had brightened her drab life and promised her the world.

"Aang! Aang, wake up! You've got to get up! Please. Please don't be dead..." she said, feeling tears sweep her eyes. To her immense relief his eyes opened.

"Katara?" he asked, weakly.

"Yes?" asked Katara, pulling him close to her.

"Is the offer of penguin-sledding still open?" he asked, a smile stretching across his face. Katara couldn't help but smile in return and pull him up. Zuko was knelt beside Azula and she was about to help him when Sokka turned up. He grabbed her hand and slung Aang over his shoulders.

"We need to get to Appa." He said shortly.

Katara felt annoyed. "But Sokka, what about—"

"Forget them! They have enough help. The town is now a Fire Nation town. We need to get to Appa and we need to leave. Before they catch Aang."  
With that, his running sped up to a speed Katara couldn't bring herself to make, even without the weight of an unconscious Aang.

They soon reached Appa and the lemur who were waiting anxiously. Sokka threw Aang up onto the saddle and climbed unto Appa's head. Once Katara had hoisted herself on, Sokka tugged the reigns, uttered a 'Yip-yip Appa' and they were away, to the nearest land away from here.

(X)

Zuko stroked his sister's hair back. She looked genuinely injured and her usually pristine face was streaked with sweat and grime. She was also unconscious and her arm looked to be crushed. Zuko lifted her up, to take her to Appa so they could leave, when to his horror, he looked up and the beast was already far up in the air, flying past the moon.

There were two shapes up on the beast and he had no doubt that the water tribe had left the rest of them there.

"I'll get you back for that..." murmured Zuko, lifting Azula up bridal-style as the silhouette disappeared into the night.

He turned around to greet the flurry of people gathered there. Ty Lee and Mai were kneeling on the ground with Zhao's spears in their backs. Many other Kyoshi warriors were also on the floor in terrible states, burns and wounds everywhere. Right in the middle was a bedraggled Suki, with a burning gaze of hatred directed at Ty Lee who looked only at Azula.

"Crown Prince Zuko, what have the natives done to your royal person?" asked Zhao, from atop his komodo-rhino. His voice was oily and Zuko couldn't stop the sneer that appeared on his face.

"No natives could have harmed my person such. This was the work of the Avatar and his companions. He's back. Alert the world."

(X)

"Where are we headed now?" asked Sokka laying out the map on the saddle and Katara flew Appa. Aang was back to himself, with a broken arm and a pain in his eyes, which spoke of innocence lost.

"Have you heard of somewhere called Omashu?" he asked Sokka.

"No." Sokka said, shortly.

"Actually, we have." said Katara from the front seat. "Remember the traders from before the Fire Nation raids?"

"No." said Sokka once more. Katara rolled her eyes and Aang giggled.

"Well, if you've heard of it or not, this is a place to go for refuge. The people here are the friendliest in the whole world." said Aang as they finished travelling over sea and come unto green pastures. Sokka tapped his fingers impatiently on the saddle.

"And? Don't we need to get to the North Pole? Shouldn't we actually be trying to get there?"

Aang shook his head. "No, we need to wait for the others. Omashu is also the closest rendezvous point that Azula and the others will think of going to. It's one of the biggest cities in the Earth Kingdom, after Gaoling and Ba Sing Se." said Aang.

"Then that's where we're headed." Said Katara. "Ignore Sokka. We all do. Yip yip, Appa!"

Sokka rolled his eyes.

(X)

Ty Lee sighed as she leant back against her luxury apartment on Zhao's ship. Mai was opposite her and both were desperate to hear news of Azula and Zuko. However, despite their cushy surroundings; there were guards at the door and the windows were barred with the strongest metal.

"I'm bored," said Mai after a while.

"You're always bored Mai. It's nothing new." said Ty Lee, spitefully.

"Anger doesn't suit you, Ty Lee." murmured Mai, as she leant forward. Her knives had been confiscated and she had nothing to do but talk. "What's really bothering you Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee looked away. "Don't tell me it's that girl you were seeing before we left." Ty Lee still refused to face Mai. "The one from Kyoshi, the leader. Were you two having fun? Having a relationship?"

Ty Le turned her burning eyes unto her. "Don't you dare Mai! She was so troubled and insane and I was trying to heal her chakras and I locked them to save that island. We didn't even succeed at that. Zhao won. The island is Fire Nation now." She sounded bitter and all Mai could do was hold her as she launched herself across at her and sobbed.

"Ty Lee," Mai said, as Ty Lee finished crying.

"What?" she asked, her voiced choked up.

"Don't forget we ARE Fire Nation, will you?"

Ty Lee buried her face in Mai's clothes again and Mai sighed. Great. She would have to buy new clothes once they reached port. Just her luck.

(X)

Azula sighed as she woke up. It was neither of the places she had expected to be. She had hoped it would be in the Kyoshi Island house or on the bison's back. In fact, she was in a Spartan Fire Nation room that resembled normal soldier's bunks. Azula's nose wrinkled and as she got out of her bed, she noticed that her clothes were burnt beyond recognition. It was hard to believe that they were still intact. She stripped them off and gladly put on the clothes set aside for her. They were slightly too big and definitely not befitting a princess of the Fire Nation, but she wasn't that. She was a soldier.

She tied them off with her remarkably resilient belt and walked out. A guard was at her door and bowed respectfully.

"Princess Azula, I am afraid I am under orders to keep you to your room. Anything you need will be provided but I cannot let you out." The soldier looked nervous and rightfully so. Azula felt a cold anger alight within her. This was Zhao's fault, she knew it.

"So you would imprison your own princess?" she asked him and the soldier was silent. "I could destroy you, if I really wanted to kill you. As it is, I would rather not destroy such a loyal soldier. We need more of you out on the battlefields."

The soldier was silent again. She sighed. "Get me my Uncle or my brother. I wish to speak to them." The soldier looked scared at this request. "My princess, the Crown Prince is under similar conditions as yours. I will call General Iroh."

Azula growled. "Very well. And be quick about it. I would prefer to not have to wait."

She sat herself back on top of her bed and smoothed out her scorched fringe with a scowl. This wasn't the first time she had been out on the front line but the first time she had been injured. What with her gruesomely injured leg and her scorched hair, she wasn't quite sure fighting was worth it to her body anymore.

Her uncle entered the room looking grave. He seemed to have lost a bit of weight too.

"Azula, you are in deep danger." He said, the moment the door closed.

Azula gave him a look. "As if I didn't already know that Uncle. I need something more useful."

In answer, he handed her a letter with a bright red seal. She recognised its owner immediately. "Father," she breathed. She broke open the seal without hesitation and opened the letter.

_Azula,_

_I am displeased. There has not been a single report for a week after your tawdry announcement by a panicked private in the navy. I have had to get news of your exploits from Commander Zhao, a commoner at best. This is unacceptable from a Princess of the Fire Nation. I expect better from you, if not from Zuko. As you have deduced, your task has changed from apprehending the waterbenders to apprehending the Avatar._

_But what is this about the Avatar? Is it now twice you have encountered him and have underestimated him? You are better than this. If I didn't know better, I would say you were... getting dispensable. You were the best, now I doubt your capabilities. You have but one more chance to capture him. I will bring you home if you fail again._

_To make your quest easier, I have given you full command over the Yu Yan archers. You will find them training near the Pohai Stronghold. Your comrade Mai should know them well. I want reports more frequently than I have been receiving them. This is unacceptable to hear your failure from second-hand witnesses .You are my daughter. You will not fail again. _

_Ozai_

Azula sighed as she placed the letter down on the table. If she was truly chasing the Avatar, The Yu Yan archers would come in handy. As it was, she was not and she had to find someway to not use them. She also had only one more chance to 'capture' the Avatar. She would fail obviously, but this time, it would not be her failure, but another soldier's. Or better yet, the Yu Yan's archers' fault. That way she could kill two birds with one stone.

Being Zhao's boat however was a more pressing problem and one she had to overcome.

"Uncle," she said, after a moment of thinking. "How do I get off this boat? Without too many dead soldiers?"

Her uncle looked grave. "I can think of only two ways. One; you sneak out in disguise, but that would leave you on the run from Zhao and achieving your father's ambitions would be tricky indeed. The second is that you accept Zhao's offer of help. He wants to raise himself up the ranks of the Army and if you promise him some credit of finding the Avatar, you would get freedom once more."

Azula frowned, neither option was definitive. "The second option is better, but it is tricky to rely on ambition alone. What if his ambition overcomes him and he ruins my plans, Uncle?"

Uncle Iroh gave her a look. "Azula. You are the princess. Your charisma is undoubted. Zhao will not be able to control his ship again, if you gain their loyalty. They stick with Zhao because he has noble blood and his fire his powerful. But yours and Zuko's are far more superior and more powerful. Do not doubt your capabilities."

Azula glared back at him. "I never have. I am superior. But sometimes, too much plotting can bring a person down and single deviation in human characteristics can ruin everything. I would rather rely on my allies staying constant than my enemies staying constant."

Uncle gave her a smile. "But, niece, is it not true that people follow simple rules for life? Is that not how you outwitted General Gunat?"

Azula smirked, it had been a part of her father's Earth Kingdom destruction plans. Three divisions of elite firebenders sent by Fire Lord Azulon couldn't defeat some jump-start squad of the Earthbender army calling themselves the 'Terra Team', governed by the self-named 'General Gunat'. They had raided and taken over an area of land the size of Fire Fountain City and claimed it as Earth Kingdom territory and for 30 years no one had been able to defeat them.

When Fire Lord Ozai wanted to defeat them, he sent her. The firebenders laughed at her but she had brought him down. She had planted information that a Fire Nation supply trolley filled with gold, food and machinery would pass by and they hadn't been able to resist her little trap. They had stumbled unto the area where she had planted the bombs. All that was left of them were splatters.

"But those were desperate Earthbenders. I can't rely on Zhao being desperate. He has a lot already."

Iroh smiled at her. "But he doesn't have everything. I have stayed with Zhao for a few days, and it is obvious that he is one of those types, that if he had the opportunity, would gamble. He's an 'all or nothing' man. If you bait him correctly with supposedly reliable sources, he'll believe and follow."

"Everyone can be bought," said Azula, remembering her Father's first lesson. "I just have to find their price. "

Iroh nodded, his demeanour grave once more. "Do not forget yourself or warp them, however. You need to escape not humiliate."

Azula rolled her eyes. "I understand that. Get Zhao for me, would you?"

(X)

Aang sighed as he placed the stuffy beard and wig on his face, made of Appa's fur. "I don't know how Appa stands this on a daily basis. This is ITCHY!" he said, scratching at his head.

Katara laughed as Sokka loaded himself with their supplies. "Don't worry about it, Aang! You'll be fine. You need this disguise anyway. If you haven't realised, your arrow is kind of conspicuous."

"No geez!" said Sokka, sarcastically. "Do we really need to go into the city? We don't have that much money to buy a room that we don't need. We could just sleep out here. We have enough supplies."

Aang looked at Sokka. "Sokka, how else are we supposed to find news about the others unless we're in the city?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "We could keep Appa here; commute there in the mornings and come back here at night."

Katara looked hesitant. "He has a point Aang. We should store our money. Even though we have plenty of Fire Nation coin, I don't know how well they'll be accepted in the Earth Kingdom. Our Water Tribe coin is fleeting, I only have a few seal-golds and our supply of Earth Kingdom coin is meagre at best."

Aang bit his lip and nodded. 'If that's what you think is best. Okay, we'd better go, I want to see if they have arrived yet."

Katara nodded and they all headed towards the gates.

As they drew closer, they saw a rather large queue slowly being interrogated as they entered the city.

Sokka looked shell-struck then quickly recovered. "Aang, we need a cover story. They're interrogating people! Think of an appropriate Earth Kingdom name!"

Aang grinned. "How about Bonzu Pipinpadaloxicopolis the Third?" he asked.

Sokka gave him a sharp stare. 'This isn't time to goof about, Aang. Be sensible, please."

Katara interjected. "How about you be Lee Jin-Kai and we'll be your grandchildren Cho Jin-Kai and Sum Jin-Kai? Easier to remember, eh?"

Aang nodded, his shot down suggestion not affecting him in the slightest.

Suddenly, they noticed the person in front of them was having problems getting his cabbage cart cleared by the soldiers. As they watched, the cabbage cart was flipped over the edge of the large abyss as the man burst into tears in front of them, screaming incoherently about cabbages.

"Friendly, huh?" said Sokka under his breath as Aang stepped forward.

"Halt!" yelled the soldier.

Aang did not however halt. He lifted his stick and wagged it in the soldier's face. "Don't you tell me what to do, sonny! I'm going into the city whether you like it or not!"

The soldier looked amused. "Okay old man. Why don't you tell me your name first?"

"I'm Lee Jin-Kai! Now get out of my way sonny!" barked Aang, and Sokka had to admit that he was pulling off a great old person impression.

"Steady there. Don't knock yourself over." The soldier said again as Aang brandished his stick at them.

Katara cut in. "My name is Cho Jin-Kai and this is my brother Sum Jin-Kai. I'm sorry about my grandfather; he doesn't know when to stop." said Katara, placing her hand on Aang's shoulder.

The guard waved it off. "No problem kid. You can go in. Have a good time in Omashu!"

But the other guard still looked suspicious. "Hold it there, Totu." Sokka gulped. This wasn't good. He hoped he wasn't going the same way as the cabbages.

"You there!" the guard said, pointing at Sokka. "Me?" said Sokka, his voice trembling.

"Yeah, you! Carry your grandfather's bag for him! How dare you let an old man strain himself." The guard hooked Aang bag off of his shoulder and dumped it over Sokka's head.

"Young people these days," said Aang, looking smug, "Just don't have any respect, do they?"

Sokka glared at Aang before stepping forward to join a group of people all waiting to enter. A young boy walked up to them, amiably.

"Hi there," he said to Sokka.

Sokka nodded in acknowledgment then turned away to glare the guards into opening the gates. Katara gave him an admonishing glare. "Hello there. I'm Ka—Cho Jin-Kai. This is my brother Sum Jin-Kai and that's my grandfather Lee Jin-Kai. What's your name, buddy?"

The kid grinned, revealing some rotten and skewed teeth. "My name's Lee too! I'm from the Plain's village! My dad sent me here because they wanted to evacuate me. The Fire Nation overran our village and the Earth Kingdom Army took all of the older village people as soldiers and bully everyone there! Mummy said that I have to find a 'Mr Tamsin', because he houses refugees. But I don't know where he is! Will you help me find him? No one else will!"

Katara's face softened and Sokka sighed. "Great. A search party around all of Omashu. Just what we needed."

Aang frowned. "Not that I have anything against you, young lad, but how do we find Az- and Zu if we're helping him search for Mr Tamsin?"

Katara looked like she was about to agree when Lee's face fell and looked down-heartened. "How about we split up, Aa- Grandpa? We'll meet outside the city gates at sundown after you go search for the others."

Aang nodded. Sokka quickly spoke. "I'll go with Grandpa. You'll be okay, won't you, K-Cho?"

Katara smiled. "Of course I will, S-Sum!"

At that moment, the guards came towards them and with a quick stomp, the first Gate of Omashu opened, quickly followed by the second then the third.

"Woah!" said Sokka, Lee and Katara in tandem. Aang merely grinned. "Come along, you young whippersnappers! Or they'll close the doors on us!"

As they walked in, the doors closed behind them, with an extraordinary feat of simultaneous earthbending.

(X)

Zuko tapped three fingers on the table as the three guards watching him, attempted to look poised and perfect in front of the Crown Prince. He never thought he'd think this but he was as bored as Mai claimed to be all the time. He had been waiting here for three hours while Zhao, Azula, Uncle and the others were taking their own sweet time primping. He was aware the guards were trapping him in his room, but they had a healthy fear and respect for him.

To his relief, Mai and Ty Lee entered the room. He let himself be engulfed by Ty Lee's hug and gripped Mai's hand as she gracefully sat down next to him.

"How has your time in Zhao's '_pleasant_' company been?" he asked them and Mai shrugged. "Boring. But that's not unusual."

Zuko smirked as Ty Lee perched on the table next to him and played with her braid. "Annoying. It's almost worse than at home. At least there, someone's always doing something, even if you have to stay indoors all the time. Here, no one does anything. What are we waiting for anyway?"

"Zhao." Said Zuko shortly and they lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, where the three of the them attempted to stare down the Navy soldiers guarding them.

Azula walked in next, accompanied by two soldiers, wearing commoner's clothes to Zuko's eternal surprise. "Azula." He greeted courteously. "Your...attire."

"Yes, unsightly, is it not? But as a soldier, you can't complain." She drawled as she pulled a chair from the corner of the room and sat adjacent to Ty Lee's table.

"How's your leg?" asked Mai, her eyes not leaving the soldier who seemed to still be gawking at the lot of them.

Azula grimaced. "It's had better days. But it isn't oozing blood at torrential rate, which I count as a bonus. However, I also count the fact that these cannions are blood red... also very good."

Ty Lee engulfed Azula in another hug, a couple tears going down her face. Azula shoved her off, with an air of great exasperation.

"Does it hurt?" asked Ty Lee.

Azula gave her a look. "A Kyoshi Island barbarian cut open my leg. Of course it's going to hurt!"

"Well then, if the Earth Kingdom Barbarians overstep their line, we shall punish them, as is our right." came a sleek voice from the doorway. Azula gazed at him with a look of cool contemplation.

"Zhao," growled Zuko under his breath. Mai squeezed his hand, tightly.

"Commander Zhao," said Azula with a smile. "I heard of your promotion. Congratulations on making your way up the ladder." She said, her tone as equally smooth as his.

Ty Lee shuddered, she hated this part of Azula's personality. Mai meanwhile buried her face on Zuko's shoulder. "Tell me when's she's done being manipulative." said Mai and Zuko pulled a face.

"You mean when's she's done flirting with a man twice her age. I don't need to watch this." He sighed and shut his eyes, keeping his ears open for the conversation taking an adverse turn.

Zuko found himself almost mind-dead when half an hour later, the tiring and asinine complimenting continued as negotiations and explanations inched along at the pace of a sloth-snail.

To his relief, his uncle came into the room. Zuko couldn't summon the ability to question why his uncle was on Zhao's ship, just thankful that he was. "Zhao. The Kyoshi Warriors are ready to talk. Your chief of this ship is ... skilled in interrogation tactics, or else they would have stayed silent for a long time." Said Iroh. Azula sat up a little bit straighter and Zuko shot her a look. This was a spanner in the works. How would their lying work if the Kyoshi warriors had a completely different story to theirs?

**AN: To be continued... Sorry, I need cliffhangers for reviewers apparently! This is much longer than my usual chapters, and I would have carried on, but I wanted to release this sometime this year, so here you go! I've learned my mistake from other stories, setting myself a deadline doesn't help me achieve the deadline, just makes me panic more, so I can't say when the next chapter will be. **


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